*a

1
L i

F7
The Mythic Age wanes, its denizens disappearing into the Otherworld,
Quintessential energies drying up. But some.refuse to let it go. These magi dare
+3 tread the barren places and twisted paths that still shimmer with ancient
power. These old lands still have guardians, though: spirits -id ?--rets that will
B
sorely test tl p who try to wrest forth their powers.

J
The rrimoire expands the Dark Ages world, providing insight on the
Fellc ships in various lands, aids to help players and Storytellers grasp medieval
magic and superstition, and hints on maintaining chantries in the tumultuous I
times of the early 13th century. Theres also a look at.certarnen wizards duels,
medieval koly days and the shallowings they create, and a host of creatures -
including the Fae - rs of Dark Medieval Europ

1I S B N 1-58846-411-3
WW20060 $21.95 U.S.
52195

9 781588 464118
I
Authors: Kraig Blackwelder, Bill Bridges, John
Chambers, Stephen Michael DiPesa, Leonard Gen-
tile, Samuel Inabinet, Steve Kenson, Carrie A n n
Lewis. World of Darkness created by Mark
Rein. Hagen
Storyteller game system designed by Mark
Rein .Hagen.
Development: Bill Bridges
Editing: Ana Balka
Art Direction, Layout and Typeswetting: Becky
Jollensten
Interior Art: David Day, Jim Di Bartolo, Tom
Gianni, Quinton Hoover, Leif Jones, Vince Locke
Cover Art: Michael Wm. Kaluta
Front and Back Cover Design: Becky Jollensten

0 2003 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights re-

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Introduction

Chapter Five: Worldly ThinAs (

Appendix
d

Master,please! Antonio pl e horses -they cannot go

further without rest.
Asar-un-Nefer scowled at ant and motioned to the

would rest horses in the op

patted his horse. Only a little bit further, h e coaxed.

When they reached the cover of the trees, Asar-un-Nefer leapt off
his horse and quickly tied its reins to a branch, then stalked off to
survey the surroundings, leaving Antonio to feed and water the beasts

He returned a short while later, in a more even-tempered mood.

All clear. N o bandits. We shall wait here for a while.
Antonio nodded. And then to home finally?
Asar chuckled. Oh,no. It will be a season or two before we return

.
Antonios face looked like the tragic mask of the theater. But..
but where do we go then?
Egypt! Land of the Pharaohs. Keeper of ancient secrets, birth

Egypt! But that is across the sea!

 Of course it is. Of what matter is that?
I am afraid of the sea, master! We shall drown jawed stare, and the servant quickly ran to m e
and our souls be taken by monsters from the deep!
Fool! Sailors make the trip all the time without
woe. Besides, we shall not cross a single drop ofwater
on our journey.
Antonio wrinkled his brow, utterly confused. I
do not understand. How can we reach Egypt without
crossing the sea?
Asars eyes slitted like a cats. There are ways,
Antonio, there are ways. He walked to the edge of
the woods and stared out across the plain they had
just traversed, looking to the distant mountain pass.
W e are meeting a new friend here soon. Do not be
startled to see him, and do not, under any circum-
stance, cross yourself when he arrives. Is that clear?
He turned to look Antonio in the eye.
Yes, master, Antonio said, perplexed. He
shrugged his shoulders and held a feedbag out for
Asars horse to eat from.
Asar sat down next to the bole of a great oak and
closed his eyes, his staff still clutched tightly in his
hand. Antonio went about the task of relieving the
horses discomfort, but he did not take their saddles
off. As h e fetched water from a nearby stream, he
whistled a happy tune. When he came back to offer
the water to the horses, a man stood by Asars tree,
looking down at the sleeping mage.
Antonio gasped. The man wore loose, white silk
robes, his face concealed by a cloth wrapped around
a turban. A Saracen. Antonio yanked his knife from
his sheath and pointed it at the stranger.
Hold! he yelled. Stand away from my mas-
ter!
The man merely looked at him, his eyes betray-
ing n o emotion. Asar, however, started and looked
up, seeing the man. He grunted in surprise and stood
up, brushing dirt from his robe. He bowed slightly.
Well met, Abu-Ibrahim Bukhari. I am Asar-
un-N efer .
Abu-Ibrahim returned the slight bow and re-
moved the wrap from his face, revealing a brown,
weathered and bearded visage. Greetings. I am
pleased you have come in a timely fashion.
I do not brook tardiness from others, less so
from myself.
1113 qucly allvcked Antonio out of h
saddlebags of Asars horse and drew forth an old
leatherbound book. He brought it to Asar, who
motioned that he should give it to Abu-Ibrahim. He
nervously proffered it to the Muslim, who accepted
it with a bow.
I thank you, Asar-un-Nefer,Abu-Ibrahimsaid.
I have long sought this prize.
Then we are agreed?The terms as stated before?
You shall deliver us to Egypt before the current moon
wanes to naught?
Indeed. We shall depart after my evening
prayer.
Before Asar could respond, a thundering sound
came from across the plain. A group of five armored
men on horses broke from the pass and rushed
toward the woods, where Asar and Abu-Ibrahim
stood.
Damn them! Asar said. They are quicker
than I thought. I assumed they would be a day behind
by now.
This is not good, Abu-Ibrahim said. I cannot
begin our journey just yet, until I have meditated and
prayed.
Asar grimaced, grinding his teeth. Then I must
divert these jackals.
He stepped from the woods, playing the role of
an old man, bent over his staff, holding his back as if
it hurt with every step h e took. He awaited the
soldiers, who slowed as they approached,surprised at
his appearance. They halted their horse a few yards
away from him, and their captain rode forth, ap-
proaching within a few feet.
I must ask you to accompany me back t o
Zaragoza, sir, the captain said, staring warily at
Asar. My lord has need of you.
Oh! Asar said. As he spoke, his eyes never
wavered from the captains. I am already pained by
my long journey. It would be a burden to return at
this stage. It is a most unreasonable and cruel request
your lord makes of me.
The captains face reddened with embarrass-
.
ment. I.. I am sorry to have asked it. You are right,
good sir. My lord has no right to ask such a thing of
you.
 T h e captain nodded . Of course. I am sorry to .
It was not the soldiers.. Abu-Ibrahim said,
1 1 11
have disturbed your rest. i snail rerum immeaiareiy
1 . - 1 . - J - - - L ! .-a- parcri 01
inaicaring - - L - t -c 1!-, -2-L t:-LA-.
uirL w i u i 1113 uuut.
and give him your message. o
Asar bent down t examine the f(DOtlprint there,
The captain wheeled his horse around and re- made by a bare foot. Eloth he and AbuI-Ibrahim wore
turned to his soldiers. We return to Zaragoza, he
1 1
boots, and Antonio wore sanaais. d h cI.. ?
~ U W
.
said. Ali Abdillah. Curse me for a fool!
He has ensorceled you, sir! one of the men I dont understand. Who is this Ali
cried, pointing as Asar. iAuiu
- A 1iuvn, n i ~i has~ inter- A Fellow Batini. H e serves the Universiry UT
course with Saracens! H e pointed at Abu-Ibrahim, Light. He has sought the book for as long as I have.
who stood by the edge c)f the forest, wa tching the I did not realize that he would follow my trail this far.
scene with a sly smile. H e is a master of secrecy, and can walk abroad i n
..1
T h e captain drew his sworu anu1 pointed it at the dayligh t unseen.
man. YOUdare accuse this man? I say you, we return As;ir frowned. This has no bearing on our
now to Zaragoza. agreem,,.,. pnt -I rlelivererl
_ . m---,
_ _ _ ___- ~---~
v nlerlae. -- must
- , vnii
nnwI ------
T h e soldier looked nervously at his captains deliver yours. I must be in Egypt within three days.
sword, and scanned the faces of his comrades, each of Abu-Ibrahim sighed. You do not understand. I
whom looked away, too cowa rdly to take tl-Le chal- need the book to be able to take us t here.
lenge. The: book holds the secret to tra veling
Yes, my captain, the soldiier said, lookin g down. motion!
1 1
T h e captain sheathed his swora ana rode back RarIely without motion, for e ven the mind
toward the mountain pass. His men fell in behind A1
moves, Am-ioranim T1 1 . 1
saia 1
calmly, 1 .
ignoring Asars
him. The lone dissenter looked back over his shoul- *i+g
I loll anger. But yes. The calligraphy within the
der at Asar, scowling. boo k is thc3 key to reaching Egypt wit hout need of
Asar chuckled and walke:dback to Abu-Ibrahim. boa t, for tll e Nile, like all rivers, flowsi through the
Men are such fools, easily swayed. alann al-mit hal.
Andhow longshall they romn;n ,.,.A
lcn1cuilawayLu.
? A Lxn
Iuu-
- Asar fiImed. Where has he taken it?
Ibrahim asked. TOCiordoba, surely.
.11 .
Long enough. If you would please begin your Then we wiii 1 1
rracK -1.
nim mere- - - 1
3

and take it back.

research.. ..
Of course, Abu-Ibrahim said, looking down to
where he had placed the book. His eyes widened and
darted in all directions. Its gone!
What?! Asar cried, and looked about. It has
to be here. Those soldiers came nowhere near us!
This Ali is a greater fool than that captain if h e
thinks he can foil Asar-un-Nefer! H e punctuated
this statement by slamming the butt of his staff into
the ground, creating a brief flash of light.
Antonio groaned and went to tighten the saddles
on the horses.
Grimoire is a n archaic name f o r a book of magic.
Pronounced &-i m-wa r (rhymes withgu itar,SAM PA
[grlmwAr]). The w o r d is a corruption of grammar,
s u g e s t i n g a n origin in a timeofwidespread illiteracy,
w h e n any book could be s u s p e c t e d of containing
instructions f o r magic.
- Definition of &-imoirefrom Wikipedia
CI7 GRAMMAROF MAGIC C h a p t e r O n e : The Sons of S o l o m o n -
Civilized F e l l o w s h i p s elaborates o n t h r e e
Magic seems t o be intimately t i e d t o Ian-
Fellowships t h a t s h a r e a c o m m o n heritage or
guage. H e n c e , spells, grimoires/grammars,
c u l t u r e , n a m e l y t h e A h l - i - B a t i n , t h e Messi-
words of power, T r u e N a m e s , invocations a n d
a n i c Voices a n d the O r d e r of Hermes. T h e
evocations, c h a n t s a n d rhymes. T h e a r t of
first t w o are heavily invested in t w o cultures
language a n d t h e a r t of magic seem t o go hand
s p u n f r o m A b r a h a m s descendents, w h i l e t h e
i n h a n d . C e r t a i n l y , a skilled speaker a n d ora-
o t h e r claims inspiration from t h e same sources,
t o r c a n e n c h a n t a crowd w i t h his words. I t
w i t h t h e a d d i t i o n of Egypt a n d c e r t a i n select
may not b e as coercive as a t r a d i t i o n a l spell,
mysteries of the East. T h e y t h r i v e w i t h i n the
b u t i t c a n p r o d u c e t h e speakers desired result
folds of civilization, t h e cities a n d n a t i o n s
nonetheless. Poets i n t h e a n c i e n t world h a d
t h a t value l e a r n i n g a n d record keeping, o r
a n unassailable aura of power, o n e t h a t still
T h e Book.
reverberates a m o n g t h e Old F a i t h a n d its
bards in t h e D a r k Medieval. Poets will o n c e C h a p t e r T w o : In a Dark W o o d -Hea-
again rise t o p r o m i n e n c e in t h e R e n a i s s a n c e then Fellowships examines three
Fellowships - t h e Old F a i t h , the S p i r i t -
( w h e n D a n t e forms a n e n t i r e worldview), b u t
for n o w , i n t h e largely illiterate times of 1230 T a l k e r s and t h e V a l d a e r m e n - w h o h a l e
f r o m less-civilized c u l t u r e s , f r o n t i e r s and
AD, poets h a v e less p r o m i n e n c e , a l t h o u g h
h a r s h lands w h e r e t h e r e is l i t t l e t i m e for t h e
t h e i r cousins, t h e troubadours, certainly wield
a n e c h o of bardic power. luxury a n d d e c a d e n c e of t h e cities. T h e y a r e
less c e n t r a l l y organized t h a n t h e Fellowships
But t h e r e a r e those who still weave words
from C h a p t e r One, b u t t h e i r individual m e m -
i n t o works of great power, a l t h o u g h they are
hers a r e freer because of it.
e v e n less p r o m i n e n t t h a n poets and writers.
C h a p t e r T h r e e : S u p e r s t i t i o n s a n d Magic
T h e i r language is n o t o n e of mere words o r
utterances, s u c h t h a t a n y jester c a n produce, discusses f u r t h e r t h e supernatural beliefs t h a t
greatly affect the t e n u r e of magic itself, along
b u t t h a t of the universe itself: t h e secret
grammar s p o k e n by the gods - magic. w i t h t h e sacred times, festivals a n d h o l y days
u p o n w h i c h magic may be cast t o great o r
Even t h e u n l e t t e r e d c a n l e a r n magic, b u t
terrible effect. C h a n t r i e s are discussed i n de-
n o n e c a n d o so w i t h o u t learning its laws a n d
tail, including advice o n dealing with
rules, for e v e n t h e most c h a o t i c magic follows
neighbors. Finally, t h e magic rules a r e elabo-
some form. I t requires power (a magical F o u n -
rated u p o n , describing various c o m m o n spells
d a t i o n ) a n d knowledge ( t h e Pillars) t o speak
a n d h o w t o a c h i e v e t h e m , a n d rules for
t h e language of wonder. T h i s knowledge was
certdmen, t h e wizards duel.
o f t e n codified by mages i n t o spellbooks -
grimoires - t o m e s t h a t listed t h e n a m e s of C h a p t e r Four: F r o m t h e O t h e r w o r l d r e -
veals t h e s t r a n g e ecology of t h a u m a v o r e s
angels, d e m o n s , spirits a n d the means t o sum-
mon, bind and command them. (creatures w h o require magic for food), the
quirks of familiars ( a mages magical a i d e a n d
T h i s book wont go nearly so far. Instead,
c o m p a n i o n ) , and tells of s o m e of t h e d i r e
i t provides insights i n t o t h o s e societies t h a t
creatures t h a t r o a m t h e dangerous places of
safeguard magic a n d the world i n w h i c h they
t h e world, from s e d u c t i v e sirens to majestic
accomplish t h e i r m i g h t y works. It provides
d j i n n . The mercurial a n d indefinable Fae a r e
more knowledge for players seeking a u n i q u e
discussed, a n d d e t a i l s on c e r t a i n faery crea-
angle on t h e i r favored Fellowship a n d advice
tures are provided, as well of some of t h e i r
for Storytellers o n h o w t o b e t t e r imagine the
rare treasures. Finally, a few magical trea-
Dark Medieval s e t t i n g , w h i c h requires p u t -
sures are given, for t h o s e mages w h o wish to
t i n g aside many m o d e r n assumptions.
s u p p l e m e n t t h e i r personal power w i t h e n -
c h a n t e d objects.
 C h a p t e r Five: W o r l d l y T h i n g s birthplace. 1 h o s e wno crave1 risk e n c o u n -
( S t o r y t e l l i n g ) breaks down a n u m b e r of pos- t e r i n g nhvsical d a n g e r , o r worse - f o r e i g n
sible C h r o n i c l e subjects a n d gives t i p s on and d
h o w t o f i t mages f r o m any Fellowship i n t o Tl introduces the
c u r r e n t h i s t o r i c a l e v e n t s . T h e t o p i c of t r a v e l Craftmasons, a n e w r e i i o w s h i p t h a t , w h i l e
is discussed, for i t was n o t as easy as i t is small a n d barely k n o w n , promises great things
today a n d m o s t p e o p l e n e v e r e v e n d i d i t , i n t h e centuries t o c o m e - a t t h e expense of
living a n d d y i n g w i t h i n a few miles of t h e i r t h e o t h e r Fellowships.
Verily, Solomon was the greatest o f the magicians.
He had power over the birds and beasts, and over
men, from the highest t o the lowest. Call, then,
spirits andtheJinnin his name, and with his Seal: and
you shall triumph, if it be the Will o f Allah!
- Miftah el-Qulub (Key o f the Hearts, 17thcen-
tury Persian manuscript)
wbispaxs Frederick I1 just over a year ago. This phase df our
work is not yet complete, they said.
It is not the mind that wreathes the world in images, In short, the leaders of the Ahl-i-Batin actually
it is the heart. And yet, it is mushahada, contempkh~n, welcome the Christian presence for the changes it
that links the mind With the heart, allowingthe Organs O f has wrought, both by stimulating Islam to greater
flesh to see W h a t the heart See* through ruYa, efforts and by opening up more avenues of cultural
visualization . exchange with Europe. With the Crusaders came
And there is yet another secret in this: just USthought merchants and scholars, Europeans whose interests
can traverse distances in moments, c nerce and learning. I n
:ingdoms, the inhabit
re (at least in the eye!S
,.
like a dream. hind in, or returned to,
dress and exotic

ands of unwashed
the earth is flat. In
ess of the Franks,how-

most part, forcing Arab a

to band together against a commo
fall of Jerusalem to the Christians we
Web of Faith - the vast mystical territory estab-
lished throughout the known world by the Batini -
it was hardly a crippling blow, andrnurshids
the claim
they allowed it to happen in order to eliminate the
complacent sense of invulnerability then pervading
, 7 . . 1.
the lslamlc world.
T h e rise of Saladin to the Caliphate was the sort
of result they had hoped for, but they felt it came too
quickly and easily. Furthermo re, that charismatic
leaders adherence t o orthodox :Sunnite Islam, while
admirable, tended to alienate SIiiite mystics and the
Sufis, groups from which the majority ofmumawwifs
were recruited. The Subtle One:s stepped back to let
that this combination of civilized brain and barbarian
brawn will be the only thing that can halt the Mongo-
lian
JABAL9AF: Cb ~ M ~ R A L O
MOUNCAiN
If the Ahl-i-Batin leaders seem strangely uncon-
cerned about the forces that menace their lands, it
may be because they have a well-established spiritual
refuge in the Umbra to which they may retreat. This
is lahal -or Mount -Oaf. which was believed tn
h
n
al-mithal,or realm of similitudes, the Barrni desig-
nation for the Umbra. Those of the Ahl-i-Batin who
choose to undertake extended Umbral journeys usu-
ally embark from this locale and use its peak t o
maintain their bearings for as long as they can retain
sight of it.
Qaf is also the name of the 19&letter of the
Arabic alphabet, signifying a sound like a more deeply
guttural version of the English letter K. Occult lore
identifies it with the Throne of God, the One Who
Encompasses All, the station at the end of the created
world, the Tabla Smaragdina (or Emerald Tablet of
Hemes Trismegistus) and the assembly of all things in
the plan of the Creator. Legend tells that this fabulous
mountain both occupies the center of the world -for
which it also identified with the north pole and its star

teaching or testing m necessary. Many

dangers await the climber, from monsters sleeping in
caves and Umbral storms that strip flesh from bone
to knife-edge ridges and the yawning chasm that
must be crossed before the peak can be reached by
those of sufficient faith and wisdom.
Upon the lower slopes of Jabal Qaf, overlooking
a hidden valley, stands a large, exquisite palace in
the ornate Persian style, named Sihr Maqamut, the
secret station of the soul. This is the Umbral haven
of the Batini murshids, the non-physical meeting
place of the Qutbs. Here the greatest of the Batini
retreat from the material world to refine their craft
and pursue enlightenment free from distraction.
When a Qutb transmits a telepathic message, his
image appears in the recipients mind standing upon
the terrace of Sihr Maqamut, with the green moun-
tain rising behind him.
Although Jabal Qaf looms large in the Middle
Eastern Umbra, the existence and exact location of
Sihr Maqamut are among the Ahl-i-Batins most
closely guarded secrets. When the time is right, say
the murshids, it shall be revealed to those of other
Fellowships who are ready to know of it. Until such
time, however, the secret station remains the prov-
ince of the Subtle Ones alone.
AL-ANOALUS: Cb VANiSbiNZ;
FRONCiR
For five centuries, Muslim Moors have occupied
westemmost reach of their
of Islamic culture to the
military conquest but
northem Spain and France, spreading the Doctrine of
Unity through allegorical arts and collecting informa-
tion both earthly and occult to bring back to their
masters in Andalusia. Through them the Andalusian
murshids have leamedmuchabout the MessianicVoices
and the Order of Hemes, and know that other Fellow-
ships, probablysurvivals from the pagan era, are at large
in northern Europe.
Cb GRAC Mosque OF COR?JObA
Cordoba has been the seat of Islamic power in
Iberia ever since Abd al-Rahman first took Spain in
sth
the early century, though other Andalusian cities
rival it in size and splendor. Its markets and schools
are renowned t h r o u g h o u t b o t h Islam a n d
Christendom, drawing merchants and scholars from
the furthest ends of the known world. It is the center
of operations for the Ahl-i-Batin in Western Europe
and the residence of the Qutb, Muhazzab (Dark
Ages Mage, p. 234-238).
The Great Mosque of Cordoba is a major cray;
Tass may be taken from the fountain in its courtyard
rs or concealed
ordoba to the Chris-
power further south,
itself, and moving the intersection of magical paths
from the Cordoban Mosque to this locale. His elabo-
rate architectural plans already exist within the
Astral Umbra, as a realm of spirit entirely of his
design and under his control. Over the next hundred
years, the physical setting of the Red Castle will be
built up into the magnificent palace that succeeding
generations will know as the Alhambra.
ZARAGOZA
This small city is situated in the northeastern
corner of Iberia, not too far from the French border,
maintained a degree of autonomy through its impor-
ties. The University of Light sponsors many ~ c h o o l s gram of cultural insurgence. Muhazzabs predecessors
alchemy, astrology,
Neoplatonism, Aristotle a
Greek.) Even Qabalistic lore has somehow found
its way into the hands of Messianic and Hermetic
mages; the Order of Hermes eagerly devoured it and
currently seeks more, while the Messianic Voices are
shocked to see close parallels to their own deeply
held theological and metaphysical beliefs. In return,
the University of Light fosters the long-held belief
among the Sephardim that Iberia is actually the
Sepharad, the biblical land of refuge for Jews exiled
from Jerusalem, as foretold by the prophet Obadiah.
effectiveness of its military. To this end
y Frenchmen, have
ure of sensuality that
OiN ibN NUWAZ AbU
.pCROF CbeSLOW bANbS
The exiled bastard of a royal Persian family, Ibn
Nuwaz was born with fair skin, blue eyes and blond hair,
thanks to an embarrassingly mixed ancestry that in-
cluded Kurdish, Circassian and captive Frankish
bloodlines. His appearance, combined with his refined
courtly manners, seductive voice and quick wit, made
him a prime candidate for the Paradise Gardens cam-
paignofculturalinsurgence.Hecanspeakmost Western
European languages without an accent and has mas-
tered most local regional forms of music, verse and
dance. Currently he is touring the courts of
thecourtofEleanorofAcquitaineformany years
the Qutbs lost contact with him suddenly. The
and Ibn Nuwaz suspect foul
Salaamwas killed when the
accumulated has bo
reer in the Ahl-i-Batin
matters, but the Qutbs fe
Some years ago, Zinjan joined the ranks of the
Almohads, ancestral allies of his family, to help
them solidify and extend their authority in Andalusia
with the aid of his djinn servants. He has appointed
himself the enforcer of the austere Almohad moral
code, and travels the length and breadth of Andalusia
keeping kings and generals in line, simultaneously
doing battle with the forces of the Reconquista. So
feared is he by Muslim and Christian alike that none
dare speak his name above a whisper. Even those
teeth have been replaced with the
es of his enemies, some still sporting
when traveling at the head
h four horns that he
e carts approach is
ven go so far as to
et Obadiah. Whatever
e attributed to him, and it
wer is without limit. O n e
CARiqA: Cb iNNR LiF
Those who follow the way of Subtlety may spend
much time in monastic seclusion, but are ultimately
expected t o return to the world and the life of any
other mortal until such times as their services are
required. T h e mumawwif, recruited from a school,
court or Sufi lodge, may spend from three to seven
years cloistered from the world in study and training
under close supervision. At this time they receive
struction in meditative technique and mystical
their lives normally until the Batini call upon them, khnaqa. The murshids of a given region, or those
but those who display magical talent are initiated who travel along the same routes, choose one of their
into the ranks of the murids, the true worldly agents number -usually the eldest, wisest and most magi-
of the Subtle Ones.

upon which khanaqa h e is associate

University of Light is wholly scholast
almost entirely of students, teachers s
tors, librarians and the lik
however, been known to r

to procure manus

the Pacific t o t

an be as precisely for-
practicingextreme asceti
the Afghan mountains, t
Fellowships share a com-
sure that she has been called forth o

lore from pre-Batini sources like the University of

Light or the lkhwanat-Tawhid (each of which existed
centuries before the formation of the Ahl-i-Batin).
and requires that the hrwush give up any regular
T h e murshids are intensely interested in learning
notion of security and property to exist eternally in
how the Hermetic and Messianic Pillars work, and
the present moment.
command that all observations of their usage be
T h e murid who shows continued advancement
memorized and reported as soon as it is safe to do so.
of magical skills and profound inner wisdom may be
Subtlety in all things describes the Batini
initiated to the rank of murshid and taught all the
approach to casting spells; their foci usually take the
esoteric interpretations of the Doctrine of Unity.
form of implements normally associated with their
T h e murshid is considered enlightened enough to
mundane profession, and they strive to make the act
of working magic as unobvious as possible. Workings
that involve elaborate ceremonial settings and per-
formances are done in private, except for communal
rites like prayer, public feasts and local cultic CUS-
toms. Recitation of Quranic verse and pages taken
from the Quran are regarded as the most Potent
talismans throughout the Muslim world, said to have
Beduin mages of the deep desert tie knots
twisted from their prospective victims
threads from his clothing, th
over a n incense-laden fire
victims bowels, tho
of the world. Nom
riding-mount. Practitioners of Al-Layl, the Pillar of
Night, cultivate stillness and silence in the dark, reced-
ing behind smoke and enwrapped in hooded
many Of their foci are not so much things
the
absence of things, like light and sound.
For mirrors and are
mon foci for all forms of scrying and magical Sight,
gems and crystals for concentrating or storing asPe1,
weapons and writing implements for directing magi-
cal energy, and clothing 01-jewelry for spells that
affect or transform an individual person.
bhilm (AL-FACibAh 0 )
T h e first and foremost instruction received by a
murid is memorization; through exercise of faith
( u b b h n ) one is able to open ( ~ a t i h hones
) mind
like a book, examining in detail every momentary
glimpse and fleeting sound of ones life. Batini agents
carry a lot of information in their heads, and their
citing a n entire book
s a mantra or
ents at some later
g seen while turning in a circle), a
piece of music, everything about a
an entire Scene in memory for laterretrieval.
A simple failure for either spell means that no
subliminal details can be recalled; the caster is left
with the vagaries ofhis faulty,non.magical memory.
A botch means that the recollection is not con-
sciously accessible at all, normally or magically, until
the caster gets a full nights sleep - or until the
Storyteller says so. It is left to the Storyteller to
decide whether other Pillars can be used on recalled
memories; e.g., seeing through illusions or across
great distances, or psychically reading an object
handled long ago.
CLoSr OANC (AL-bAJJ ,AL-LAPL 0 )
The adept of Al-Hajj, or Hajji, learns to instinc-
tively leap out of small confined spaces and can
instantly land in another nearly identical space if
there is one nearby. Closets, stalls, niches, colon-
nades, and even baskets or jars large enough to
contain the Hajji may be employed, provided each is
similar in size, shape, general construction and pur-
pose. Teachers stress that the spaces must be similar
because the spell uses the harmon
tween them as the connection. M
the space jumped to m
another person hiding from whatever the caster is
hiding from), AlcHajj 0 0 0 0 must be used to teleport
that mass back to the casters original space, trading
places simultaneously.
Some Hajji who keep permanent residences
furnish them with closets, jars and large coffers of
make; these are memorized locations to
which they may escape if they can find similar
objects in their travels to use as portals.
CARS OF ALLAh (ALbAJJ ,AL-ANbiYA O)
seems, Subtle ends must be achieved through unsubtle
means. One such means for the well-prepared Hujji is to
open a small magical conduit to Places Where the
elemental energies of the world exist in their most raw,
compressed and volatile state. (usually a Prolonged
journey is required to find such a place, although some
n ~ d d have
s been kn0w1-1to Pass o n detailed descdP
tions and coordinates of elementally charged zones to
their students, enabling them to cast this spell without
ed upon except in times of
directs it at a target,
yan avalanche from a
ryteller should not allow a
is spell unless he has sufficiently
snow-capped mountain, a n active volcano, the deep-
est point o n the floor of the Mediterranean, etc. At
S a m Point, a physical journey must be made t o the
location, or t o within sight of it, or to avantage point
where the precise coordinates can be calculated -
i.e., the base of the volcano or the spot on the seas
surface directly over the lowest part of its floor, etc.
A separate location must be prepared for each differ-
ent type of element the mage wishes to use. The
location must be fixed in the casters memory (Dhikr
may be used), and coordinates from someone else
these vagaries, but the mage using a n elemental
conduit previously established by another may be
required by the Storyteller to draw up a horoscope or
perform some geomantic calculation to use this spell
to its full effect.
For each casting success, the bl
ure can mean mporary
varieties of spirits. In
control them at will. A great number of major occult
works are attributed to Sulayman, and it is possible
that some may actually contain his own words.
O n e such is Mufteah Shelomoh, a catalogue of
individual spirits that describes their personalities
and functions, along with the names, signs, sigils,
. . ;ic tools used to control
U a y m a n exercised this
orkforce of j inn, demons
is legendary temple and
ers for him. The Univer-
the University has sworn to keep such dangerous
knowledge from profane hands, bowdlerized ver-
sions have been appearing in Zaragoza and elsewhere
for the last few centuries, under the Latin title
Claviculae Salomonis, The Keys of Solomon.
versity tries to learn all that it can
respec
rshids are allowed to
only they have the
SUMMONiNCj
(AL-FACihAh ,AL-hAJJ .)
Those who would have truck with the djinn must
understand that, as natives of the Astral Umbra, they
exist primarily as creatures of thought in an environ -
ment of knowledge and information. As long as they
abide solely in the Umbra the mage has no particular
power over them. Unlike other Umbrood, however,
the djinn frequently visit the material world and during
these visits are subject to its laws in addition to their
own. To Summon adjinn, then, the mage must alter his

surroundings and his thoughts in a way that draws the
djinn to him; like most other spirits, each individual
djinn has a name both spoken and written, a sigil, an
image and a variety of associated occult correspon-
dences like colors, shapes, tones, scents a n d
mathematical formulae. Some djinn are in the service
of High Umbrood, and if this condition is known by the
mage, he may call upc
to direct the lesser. C
dences have been assc
before the caster.
additional success,
question it or cast
BiNOiNG (AL-FAltibAb
Once the djinn appears be
not care to ordered around by mere h ~ m a n s .(Some
may be on friendly terms with the caster, but, even
then, their motives for cooperating may be question-
able.) The djinn must be contained SO that it does not
escape and its actions restrained SO that it does not
attack the caster or anyone else in reach. Binding forces
the djim to remain in place and keeps it from using its
powen on others. D j i m are generally Sm.~monedinto
a magic circle 01 Other specially Prepared space and
Bound there as soon as they appear. If the caster wishes
to keep the djinn for an indefinite period of time so that
its services can be called upon at a later date, the djinn
may be Bound into some form of container like a bottle,
I
i
!
1
box, sack, basket or even a lamp. While the container
1
does not need to be hermetically sealed, there must be I
I
no imperfections through which the djinn can escape, I
like cracks in jars, frayed holes in pouches or baskets, I
knotholes in wooden boxes or a gap i n a magical circle.
Binding relies upon the power of the Seal of Sulayman,
I
a complex sigil that holds influence over all djinn. (The I
Order of Hemes sometimes has less success in dealing
with the djinn, perhaps resulting from confusion be-
tween Solomons Seal, which incorporates the figure of
d pentagram, and the Shield of David,
I
is needed to limit the local
I
1
I
ard the entire space
I
I
I
i
r or some-
Nbi9 Ao o o o .,AL-
ly the most accomplished mage can force a
djinn to act against its will, for a near-complete
mastery of the magical arts is needed. For the Batini,
this involves presenting the Seal of Sulayman and
using its power to actually shape the djinns very
thoughts and destiny (albeit in a limited way). Even
this power is not absolute, for a djinn may yet be free
to take any action not specifically forbidden by the
exact wording of the casters Command. Besides
exercising some of the most powerful Batini Pillars
the Commander must also be careful not t o leave ani
loopholes in her instructions; a background in con
tractual law can be most helpful here.
perat ion.)
~LAJWRS rooLbox For several hundred years now, a number of
scribal spies disguised as Christian monks have
MiSSiONARiS, SCbOLARS,ASSASSINS, been circulating through Europes monasteries,
Jescens copying manuscripts to take back home. At this
Those who have trouble envisioning a point in time most standard texts have already
Middle Eastern character lasting more t h a n a day been transmitted i n this way, and those spies who
in Dark Medieval Europe should consider that remain are engaged in seeking out the most rare
most of the Iberian peninsula was occupied by the and obscure books, sometimes stealing them out-
Moors for a total of nearly 800 years. By the 13h right if they have n o time to copy them.

badour movement (which at

of its true origins and

and Ramon Lull

t i o n Caucasi
t o works of sci-

claim descent from

e, and more and more
called the Borjigun.)
themselves reflected in

r things, laying the groundwork for

Characters with the Destiny Background, or

doms against their own co-religionists. Such
alliances are usually sealed by a n exchange of
hostages; if the alliance remains amicable and
beneficial, a ~~~.i~ hostage in E~~~~~ may be
accorded a great degree of privilege and freedom.
Muslim missionaries both mage and Com-
moner are a t large in Europe; though they are
usually dismissed, harassed or attacked outright,
some occasionally find small freethinking audi-
ences, though few converts.
those who simply want t o place themselves i n the
context of this new explosion of media, may wish
to have some sort of text with which to identify,
just as people have always tried to identify with
the heroes Of myth and song. Books and scrolls are
a mainstay of most courses of magical study, but
t h e written word is n o longer limited to scripture,
gospel or flat explanations of arcane subjects.
A number of options occur:
You discover a manuscript that addresses
you by name, describes your past in detail, and
goes o n to delineate your future and ultimate fate.
Should you adopt the narrative as a guidepost for
living your life? If its outcome is bright, this might
lead to prosperity, but if this strange biography
takes too many dark turns, can you act against it
and change the ending? And how does this affect
your interaction with your cabal? Do your com-
panions appear in the story, and if so, do their roles
match your relationships with them? C a n all the
histories of all the people o n earth fit together in
a single cohesive storyline?How does o n e read the
Book of the World?
You discover a legendary manuscript of
unknown origin in o n e of Zaragozas libraries,
written in ancient Duraic but partially translated
into Arabic, Hebrew and Latin by various hands at
various times. T h e narrative contained within is
exceedingly long and tortuous, with a n uncount-
able variety of characters and subplots, containing
many tangential allegories and seemingly mean-
ingless digressions. Many of its plot threads take
the form of nested and telescoping stories, as he walked t h e winding paths through the Gar-
wherein one character tells a tale to another,
while a character within that tale tells a story of
his own, a literary device that anticipates such
future works as The Canterbury Tales, t h e
Decameronand especially the ArabianNights. Many
of these nested stories appear to have n o ending,
often being interrupted by events of t h e main
plotline, and any resolution for them has yet t o be
found or noted by the unnamed translators. Lore
relates that the diligent student may, if he SUC-
ceeds i n deciphering and following t h e entirety of
the narrative, divine many secrets concerning the
past, the future and the secrets t h a t men keep
hidden in their hearts. Those who attempt this
and fail, however, are said to go mad.
SCRANGRS iN CORbObA
The Great Mosque Of Cordoba has been in
existence for over 400 years and was built up t o its
current expanse Over two centuries ago. Of the
magical Pathways woven into its Plan, those lead-
ing to the major khanqas are maintained through
constant usage, but many others are S t i l l in Place.
Some were created by the original builders but
never used. Others fell into disuse when the loca-
tions t h e y c o n n e c t e d t o we destroyed 0
forgotten. Most lead t o PoPUlation centers, but
some lead t o secret places like hidden groves,
mountaintops, windswept deserts or deep caves
throughout Eurasia and Africa. Because one need
n o t be a Batini or even a mage to traverse these
magic routes, it is i n theory possible for anyone to
stumble through one. Many strange and outland-
ish foreigners can be seen in the bustling avenues
of Cordoba. Not all arrived by intent, or through
normal modes of travel. Both players and Story-
teller can take advantage of this situation -
consider, for example, the following:
Kubotai the Spirit-Talker is a scout for
Ogadai, the son of Jenghiz and Khakhan of the
Mongol Horde. H e was sent to Persia in order to
assess their army and defenses in preparation for
invasion by his people. W i t h the help of some
local spirits (unbelieving djinn, who never ac-
cepted Islam), h e was able to identify some of the
local mages as well. Several months ago he man-
aged to track a Batini murshid into the Paradise
Garden at Isfahan; such is Kubotais skill at re-
maining unseen that h e was able to tail the mage
den. W h e n t h e mage finally left the Garden,
Kubotai turned to find that h e was n o longer in
Isfahan, but now stood in the Great Mosque at
Cordoba. Despite his skills, he was unable to trace
his steps back t o the Garden, and is now stranded
in Andalusia.
Thus far, Kubotai has managed keep his pres-
ence secret -at least, h e believes that he has. He
stole a voluminous robe and a long-tailed Berber
turban that he uses to cover his strange clothing
and alien features. H e lives by petty theft, and by
hunting small game outside the city. Besides Man-
golian, h e speaks only a smattering of Arabic and
Persian, but is picking up much of the local &a-
lects. A week ago he had to kill a n old man who
caught a glimpse of his almond-shaped eyes and
started crying out that a demon was in their midst.
H e has stolen a map from a local school and is
trying to figure out the best way to return to his
homeland. Traveling through Europe would be
too difficult for him, so he plans to cross the Strait
of Gibraltar and return through Africa, Arabia
and Persia. H e is anxious to report back to Ogadai,
though he fears the punishmentthat awaits him
for returning late. H~ is even anxious to
reunite with his horse Kutukti, whom he left
grazing i n a secluded valley outside Isfahan.
 Cb MeSSiANiC Voices:
FAkb
Oh Holy Father, forgiveme for &XI must now do
YourfaithfulfiOm the thO~OfhereSY.Ikmwthe
I dwelling place of a heretic, a ma71 once blessed by you
E with great power, but who has fallen into emor and
j espouses the heresy of the Albigenses. I go t
t to demand that he repent. If he refuses.. .
fire of YourArchangel Gabnel shall cleanse
earth.
- Brother Johann, iti
Messianic Curia
direct communion with God
in a holy order. But this only t
Voices come in more diverse
seen and, indeed, in more
century is truly pre
single, monolithic Crea
times far removed from
reaches the remotest
Europe and that stre
Romulus and Remu
alone Constantine
they are not), the Cat
rately represents a single meta-religion,
theology, ideologies and membership fro
Ithe monotheistic faiths of virtually everyplace north
of the Sahara and west of Mongol lands, to the
Atlantic Ocean in the West and the most forlorn
and isolated frozen lands of the North. Each faction
within the Fellowship functions much like a sect
within a single overarching religious philosophy
(Catholics, Cathars and most Gnostics are Chris-
tian, for example, but they do not answer to a single
earthly authority and their views on the nature of the
divine and their beliefs on the proper way to live in
veneration of the Creator can be radically different).
Each sect sees its fellows (those it knows about,
anyway) as living in spiritual error. (There is not yet
any such concept as cultural relativism, after all.)
Most factions within the Voices are content to allow
others to believe and worship in their erroneous
fashion (mostly because they lack the power to act
soning that it is better to see some of
be entirely blind to it. The Catholic
ip, however, has
the world-spanning power (and doc-
ts core Commoner faith)
erted effort to stamp out all
0- ---
by the decree ofconstantine
Valdaermen who
s are shown esteem
to a position of true
ies within the Roman
olic Church is the
the world and, while
owerful landowner,
kings and princes alike,
nication (and the
es) just as much as
or fishmonger. Certainly, the
1 a commandment
y See before one given by the throne. A
nobleman can only kill a Person; a cleric can d m ~ n
him for eternity. The Messianic Voices within the
Catholic Church often like to think of themselves as
an organization that, in many ways, functions above
the normal hierarchy of the faith and, given their
miraculous abilities, a network that somewhat justi-
fies this notion has grown up within the faith over
the course ofcenturies-
conspiracy and heresy. Women, for example, are
virtually excluded from the circles of power found
r -- -- --------
men of the age conclusively know, women are
cunning, devious, dangerously sexual creatures in-
I

otherwise) with the Devil and his minions. Likewise,

the poor and those from other ostracized social
- -
ascent. Lepers, recent converts and other such in-
desirables usually find n o purchase in their attempts

almost all of the

age, many of tl
1- 1 1.

of wealtl- Ian not,

means ti tionally
r

nals, monks 0121

.l 17 . .A.
1 _J

the examples of one grasping politician of a pope

after another, ranking individuals within the Catho-
lic faith often see it as their inalienable right to enjoy
the fringe benefits of their station, even as common
folk starve and make do with rags on their backs.
Ideally, Messianic Voices are made of better stuff
than that, but they do not live in a n ideal world.
For those who are willing to submit themselves to
1 1 r. 1 . 1 1
overseen by a single minister. Likewise, one minister
(the only woman t o sit on the Curia) is responsible
for the affairs of all of the major convents of Europe.
In general, these individuals have power bases just as
broad as those of the five who have the closest
confidence of the Pontifex Maximus, but their spheres
of influence are simply regarded as less worthwhile,
so their words are accorded less respect and weight
than they are probably due.

RJCCiNG Cb SpSCM
to the tenets of

displea-
om the

since no official proclamations are usually made, the

Pontifex could care less, at least until his agents
come calling on business and find themselves unwel-
come. During his tenure as the Pontifex Maximus,
Desederius has had to excommunicate 10 members
of the Fellowship (at least one or two of these never
again heard the Voice of God) on account of such
offenses and has had another four put to the sword by
the most loyal of his followers. Truly, turning ones
back o n Rome is a dangerous proposition.
For those who manage to successfully resist the
power of Rome (and, despite what Desederius and
the Curia would have the Fellowship believe, it does
occasionally happen), there exists the freedom, for
good and for ill, of those who carry
exDectations of others.who
of the
to no one and
.
Voice must weigh for herself whether or not such
liberty is worth its potential cost.

UsiNG cb
voices
As grim and terrible a time as the Crusades are,
they offer many opportunities for a single Messianic
Voice or even a whole cabal of them. Ancient and
I
Holy Land. Some of them are even in nee

having been born of evil magic (or turne

foul influences do (in the Holy Land as

eyes of many self-proclaimed "

great good work to be done: pr

ics (and even non-christians)

ancient world, and otherwise
rs of the Wars of the Cross?A
ng in Jerusalem,definitely has a
e o n the Crusades than does a
came, following the voices of
aughter to those who would not
Cross. Mithraic or Atonite Voices

,perspectives on these conflicts of monothe-

isticconquest (and thenot-so-subtleexcusesforrape democracy has its origins). Venerating the
and pillage that accompany them). Archangels every aspect, they likewise hold up fire
as a powerful symbol for knowledge and rebirth and
scbis~s
wicbiN often develop great proficiency in the Gavri-El Pil-
In addition to the Heresies targeted by the lar. Some have even gone so far as to call themselves
Pontifex Maximus, such as Catharism or the Eastern Gabrielites, though this term remains as much a
Church, there are divisions within the main body of code-word as a distinction, whispered in hushed
the Messianic Voices (those found within the West- tones by Voices who long for a more egalitarian
ern Church). Some of these are s of earthly saints. These Voices are
organized, though strangely capable of
n to do so. A cult
Fellowship puts its blasphe
torch as surely as does the C
the members of the Curia o
clout within the Church
attentions of Commoner
saving the resources and t
by the Divine.
er faction are often handled
A MOST bOLp MpiR
While the Pope rules from R ic. These Voices are far less
part of the Holy Empire t h

Likewise, the vast

Voices hail from s

more often warrio h are wise enough to

es agents are afoot.
mus and the C u
self-interest and

empire) has become

ents, a puppet of Ro e benevolence of their
upon the purgation of

Some of the soldier-saint ome Voices in France are now

.) Likewise, the Pontifex now
rather than Rome. In hushed tones,

ship, severing it from Romes subtle tyranny and
establishing a center of governance in Frankfurt or
Cologne. These dissenters cannot, however, agree
on whether the new order should be a gathering of
equals or simply a relocation of the old system of
ecclesiastical rule.
ne democratic faction takes its from the
Archangel Gabriel, patron of Reason (a great ideal
of the ancient world in which the very idea of
from the Germanic Voices, some of them have
begunto demand amore egalitarian SYStemofgover-
nance, Perhaps electing kaders as Several H o b
ROman Emperors were elected to their Posts. In the
north Of France, toward Paris, far from Rome, these
assertions ate sometimes even voiced loudly. Ever
fewer Voices warn these sorts
r .
to temper their words
. *
and it is only a
reestablishes its
thing gives.
 T h e Roman Catholic Voice of these movements, but other branches of Chris-
With the largest and most widespread devotees, tianity that fail to submit to the rule of the Holy See
the Catholic Christian faction of the Messianic also continue to persist in the world.
Voices offers perhaps the greatest array of options for

The presence of religious dualists within the

stonemasons,men-at-arms, scribes andpe

a Roman Catholic Voices A t

Backgrounds must be weighe
stances of her life, rather than brace the crass materialism
Fellowship, since there is su
and driven of kings and

iveness may only be had through

tional warlords, just as ca

to feats of superhuman p

humble and lowborn to a populace fearful

o part of it. Indeed,

Catholic Christian lk who want nothing

other members of etics (dangerous be-

able holdings) and man ause of the wrath such

all of Christendom. In add

d (obviating the need for an elaborate

erics) do not sit well with the Holy See
hewxics OF rche ON Voice and its agents. Add to this the Cathari aversion to
The Dark Medieval era the practice of copulation (a temptation of the physical world, one
Christians slaughtering their own Over doctrinal which traps another immortal soul in fetters of flesh
differences rise to its horrific heights. consee and subjects it to the ministrations of evil) and it is
quently, t h e enmity between Christian sects easy to see exactly Why the religion did not and,
(especially in E ~where~the ~ ~ ~ could
indeed, , not thrive. I t intimidated many people
power is essentially supreme) at an all-time into avoiding it entirely and Cathari simply didnt
high. Catharism is the most powerful and prevalent breedenoughnew adherents to the faith to keep the
movement going.
sect tend toward demagoguery (and, thus, high scores organization of like-minded people, subject more to
in Charisma and Manipulation, as well as dots in a system of authority based o n respect than political
Empathy, Expression and Leadership). Cathars are hierarchy.
not generally violent people and, whil

nosticism harks back to mystic prac-

soldiery), this is by no means comm
tacts and Influence are com cults that sprungup around
while Resources should be e resurrection caused those
most circumstances. Note, a something religiously cohe-
characters (of whatever Fell nch of Christian faith that
deal with members of the ecret knowledge (gnosis)
ation (and, in some cases,

for the downfall of the C erer who was turned away

dissolution of a social system
believe to be divinely ordaine n intellectual Chris-
ght and self-analysis.
cbe ASCRN CbURCb
ue for a fully developed
ophy, but evidence does

dria, Antioch and

the world into the sub-

iurge (whom they typify as

from the Western belief inity OftheOldTestament),
e material world. Union with the
issues from both Son and Father as ator is achieved only through con-

humanity, in the Roman Catholic fashion.
The Eastern Orthodox Voice
Eastern Church Christians are little different
from their Western counterparts, save in a few (ad-
mittedly, highly significant) matters of doctrinal
standably, hesitant to bring children into this world.
Conversely, some, believing that their actions in this
world Were Of no moral consequence, engaged in all
manner of indulgences, seeingthemselvesas intellectu-
ally freeoftheconS~intSimPoSeduPona~eren~bY
enlightenment within this lifetime. Most Gnostic doc- faiths subsc
trines believed in redeemer figures (such as Christ) who Creator pre

esstanic to possess.

Backgrounds amongst Gnostic Voices. Gavri-El (for

his proficiency with the arts of reason and intellection)
and Mikha-El (for his identity with the light) are
favored Pillars, though most choose to develop their
Divinity above their fluency with any Pillar of Messi-
anic magic. Gnostic Voices are also the most likely
Messianics to eventually pursue proficiency with the
magic practiced by other Fellowships,since their belief
in the hidden knowledge of the Universe essentially
considers learning to be apractice unfettered by earthly
morality, thus removing the sense of sin and wickedness
that most Voices ascribe to forms of magic other than

voices srciLL
oLbe~
The idea of monotheism, of course, does not
:gin with the birth of Jesus Christ. Even the most
 before the followers of the predominant, pantheistic Jewish Voices, unlike their Christian counter-
Egyptian faith attempted to obliterate Aton and his parts, often struggle to immerse themselves within
faithful from history i the affairs of the community. (Christianity tends to
their Names and the see great holiness as a barrier between normal folk

araoh alone (citizens worshipped

1 turn, passed o n his prayers to the those who are gifted by the Divine.)
e is n o greater duty than to protect and
been fortunate enough to lay eyes up0

their time in tone they are sin endemic to Christianity

mean how very much they s erarchical faith, is puzzling

bolstered by the possibilitie matter how blessed, having

in their actions. And, for the
what they do not under-
daic Messianics scorn the
rist and fail to reject their
ith which, to the thinking of these

The Atonite 1 surrection. Sadly, many of

like their Commoner kin,

He who is useful to A
hasis o n community,

egrate him into the

deavors), Leadership
Abilities. Fount anc

most common .. 1 X I .
resented amongst Ju-
such as Academics,
. It is traditiona

gods upon the Earth

te for such a Voice.
JUbAiSM

I n its original definition, it describes a mo ssianic Mithraism survives, among mages, in

has its tales of men, such as Moses and Solomon,
touched by the power of God and empowered t o
work great miracles. Likewise, Judaism may freely
take at least half of t h e credit (splitting it with
Egyptianreligion) for the Western mystic belief in
t h e power of the word, whether written, spoken or
sung. Accordingly, there are Voices to be found
among the scattered Children of Israel.
since certain tenets of belief known to inner circles
among Messianic worshippers (which are passed o n
as an oral tradition) are markedly different from one
region to the next. Persian tradition sees Mithras as
a patron of war and fire and a judge figure whose
chariot is the sun, while Roman tradition calls him
Sol Inuictus, the Unconquered Sun, and identifies
him as the source of heavenly light.
 One Mithras, Many Faiths
It is important to remember that Mithraism is
not really one faith. Persian Mithraism may or may
not have very much t o do with the better-known
Roman variant of the faith beyond certain superfi-
cial details, such as Mithras status as a war god.
Persian Mithraism, for example, does not include
any images of the deity slaying a bull, despite the
prominence of that image in the Roman church.

shedding of Mithras blood (or perhaps his death and

resurrection - accounts rarely agree conclusively)
bringing salvation to mankind and was, accordingly,
a great foe of Christianity. Unfortunately for the
Mithraists, the cult of the Risen Christ (which
included women and men who were neither soldiers
nor prominent civil servants) simply outgrew them
was likewise considered a respectable arena of struggle
in number and, by the time Constantine pronounced
within t h e cult of Mithras) may prioritize their
Christianity as the One True Faith of the Roman
Attributes very much differently. Almost without
Empire, Mithraism was already all but dead to the
exception, Mithraic Voices should have some profi-
world at large.
ciency in at least one or two of the martial Abilities
The Mithraic Voice (Archery, Brawl, Dodge and Melee) and many of the
Mithraism is a forceful, dynamic faith. Most most successfulhave at least a few dots in all of them.
remaining Mithraics descend from the Roman tradi- Manly Abilities such as Athletics, Intimidation,
tion and so adhere to its form as a male warriors cult, Leadership, Politics and Ride can also go a long way
stressing civic duty and conquest as virtues. T h e toward cementing the Voices position amongst his
Physical Attributes are almost always primary, though brothers. Given the faiths status as a mystery cult,
warriors of other battlefields (such as politics, which Enigmas and Theology are common Knowledges.
 h e birth of Christ, a vision

Mithraic Voices. (Also note that there are

no Libraries of religious or mystic lore to a Mazda, or Ormuzd, was responsible for the
among members of this branch of the ing and is, Zarathushtra taught, a n
me and transcendent love. On the

and a proponent of civil service. Thus

s to lead him astray and destroy
dence than perhaps a handful of the othe

Pillars and it is virtually unheard

Voice of any religious tradition t o d

ZOROAS'CRiANiSM
 The goodly person lives according to the virtues
embodied and propounded by the Ameshas Spentas
(Bounteous Immortals, beings very much similar to
the Christian Archangels, the perceptions of whom
it is believed were heavily influenced by these enti-
ties), spirits created by Ormuzd to demonstrate the
manner of right living to men and to champion their
chosen virtues through the cosmos. These virtues
ion, Wholeness and Immortality. They
power in Persia, many centurie
saults), decimated the Zoroa
shackle settlements in the
The Zoroastrian
Attributes may be primary, th
Attributes (whether at character cre
guide and instruct) and Fount are relatively common
Backgrounds amongst Zoroastrian Messianics. Most of
them are too poor and marginalized in their homeland
to have Backgrounds denoting wealth, privilege or
station. Like Gnostic Voices, most concentrate o n
developing their connection to Divinity above their
facility with any particular Pillar of Messianic magic.
ope and that is Islam. Seen by the
with Rome and many of its
tical in the preservation of
hat, at its core, promotes
n andunderstanding. Natu-
otheistic faith to enter and
since the inception of
submission (to the Will
versus authority and external
Muslim Voices are often among the most dog-
A n evocation of Gavri-El fills the subjects (or sub-
jects) rational mind with the irrefutable belief that
an angel of dark purpose here walks the Earth, while
supplications to Uri-El incite the primal, instinctual
fear of the hare for the wolf. Some Voices claim that
such a mantle of dread is hung upon the shoulders of
every Sentdown by the Creator for the PUTose
of taking life.
System: For each rolled in the casting of
this spell, PIUS one Per Point of Quintessence spent,
the Voice may affect one target within normal cast-
ing range. Those subjected to this aura of fear must
per
e) and meet
(eachsiderolling against adifficulty equal to the others
permanent Willpower). If the Voice wins the roll by
one or two, the individual may stillfeel some aggression,
but is unlikely to act without further provocation. If the
mage wins the rolls by three or more, the subject will feel
his rage leech away, replaced by feelings of friendship
and sympathy. Should the subject win the roll against
the mage, he is free to do as he wishes (which usually
means perpetratingwhatever violence wasonhis mind).
Each success beyond the first scored by the Voice in the
casting of this spell allows her to roll an additional die
in the contested Willpower roll. For very large mobs, it
is probably best to roll an estimated average Willpower.
In this case, a narrow win o n the contested roll for the
Voice may mean that a few bull-headed stragglers press
the attack, while a win by a greater margin defeats the
crowds bloodlust entirely.
cbe OROeR OF bcRMS:
MAN9 houses,ON LAW
youthink yourselfone T h yare Common-
ers, girl, not fit to meet your gaze, let alone command
your ,&or. Leave them b e h i d ; you are exalted above
them now -above even the right of kings, some might
say, but you did not bur from me.
btloose your mothers adbury your in
books. The kitchen is for scullery maids. Your place is in
t b tower.. ..
followed by bani Order of Hermes (bani being a
term denoting membership and which was, up until
just a few years ago, used to indicate
House membership within the Order). Of course,
some hardliners (particularly the Orders oldest
mages: fourth-, third- and even a handful of second-
and first-generation Hermetics) continue to em-
brace the system of Houses and some of these have
even been known to issue c e r ~ m e nchallenges over
the matter. It remains to be seen who will emerge
victorious in this political debate, but many Her-
metic wizards follow the affair closely, knowing that
the resolution of the dispute over the Houses will be
a telling factor in thf
The Order of H
huge number Of diver
der the umbrella 0

bOUS bONiSAC&.fS
House Bonisagus is responsible for the Orders
sorcerous research. These archetypical wizards often
while their days away in cluttered laboratory sancta,
rife with piled scrolls, towers of books and mystic
components of both obvious
Bonisagi often play the role of
citing the need t o understand their fellow men,
rather than turn their backs on them (lest the pawns
of the Tremere be able to easily launch another
assault like the one that laid Mistridge to waste), but
most older Bonisagus mages scoff at the notion of
another such catastrophe befalling a now-vigilant
return to their studies, shutter-

though many of them h a

bers of the Hou

chemical tinctur

in sufficient num-

es promptly shuffled these

ouse and told them t o sort out
anization for themselves. Centu-

children with dangerous toys.

ignorant to hold their attention for more than a few Offers a good face t o Present to other Fellowships in
moments. Further, members of the House, as heirs to the Dark Medieval. ( n e Order as a whole views
the founder of the Order. carry more than their share this, essentially, as placating savages with something
:Orderas a wholefeels that comforts them through rough familiarity, but it
sliver ofhatred for the usually works, so n o one complains much about it.)
ncient days Out offear Membership in House Ex Miscellanea offers
d, most Bonisagi only little in the way of opportunities for political clout
 ubt their fervor or sincer-
Several magi, under

most of these are s

tunates are

Tremere Massasa ish to and immerse

these rebel Tremere hav their expense in kind.

spells are intended to manipulate a foes spirit into
compliance, rather than savaginghis body. Quaesitori
are masters of quiet control. While some few among
their number might think to abuse these subtle
magics to assert control over their fellows, most are
understanding of the consequences
own abilities. Perhaps half of th
prenticeship, most other Houses lose one, if that.
The Tytali have been the primary architects of
virtually all of the Orders many plans to slowly subvert
the wizardly world and to thereby eventually lay claim
morose and hot-tempered. Something in them craves
challenge and they view the world and everything in it
as trials to be overcome.
This mindset is established in the nightmarish
Tytalus apprenticeship, when the mentor also serves
ess and decadence set in
of the Fellowships
ers of the House de-
ion t o t h e normal Hermetic
house VRbiCiUS
Mystic craftsman, the artificers and armorers of
the Order, the mages of House Verditius create the
vast majority of the Fellowships Talismans. If a
wizard needs a vicious elf slain, he finds a member of
House Flambeau; if he wants a sidhe-slaying sword,
he asks a Verditius. Loving the fruits of their craft
above their fellow men, most members of this House
are thought of as sardonic, tactless and remote.
T h e House is a venerable one within the Order,
though it is not often regarded as one of t h e
Fellowshipspowerful political bodies, In truth, most
Verditius lack the social graces required to be lords
within the Order of Hermes and most, quite frankly,
simply do not care. Men are far less predictable than
basalt. crvstal and steel and are onlv rarelv as easilv
must come from somewhere
and that, predictably, is the lot ofthe young members of
the House. More s~ than members of any Great House
other than perhaps Bonisagus, young Verditius view
their time Out in the world as more of a trial to be
overcome than an opportunity to be embraced. This is
murprising, as many of them are ill-suited to the road
and would much rather be assembling an animated suit
of armor before a roaring fire than shivering in the rain
and trying to sleep in a ditch. While many Verditius
benefit from a great well of inspiration and imagination,
few ofthemhave much in the wavof asense of adventure.
Verditius magic is time consuming and intri-
cate, requiring hours, days or even months of
preparation. Each component (of which there are
many) has t o be just so, and many within the Order
believe that magi of this House shun the outside
world primarily because of the difficulty in trying to
realize new magics (spells that they have not pre-
pared in advance) in the uncontrolled conditions
outside of their sancta. Of course, Verditius channel
most of their magic through pre-made items, allow-
ing them t o reliably perform
4 the same enchantments
r a n d over
again, without
much need
for prepara-
t i o n time
b e y o n d
what is
- n e e d e d to
Jerditius are
t commonly
tal Primary,
erable number
Physical Primary
instead. The stereotype of the antisocial and cur-
mudgeonly Verditius has no small amount of validity
and almost n o members of the House are anything
but SocialTertiary (manyfavorManipulationabove
Chrisms or Appearance). It goes without saying
that Crafts is the single most highly regarded Ability
within House Verditius, and in addition t o the
normal common Hermetic Backgrounds, many
Verditius favor Cray, Resources (as both the by-
product of their works and the capital o n which
future creations are built) and, naturally, Talisman.
tion of mystic treasures.
rcbe onben iN cbe wonLb
is regarded with silent (or, in a
cbe civiUzeb wesc
Messianic Voices and
render that sentiment inaccur
often overlook them in favor of attempts to reestab-
lish dominion over familiar territory, even when
such strategies prove to be untenable. Sadly, this is
already taking its toll on the Order of Hermes, with
resources that would be better spent expanding into
the Holy Land and Eastern Empire being fed into the
lost cause of trying to check the growing might of the
Messianic Voices in France and the rest of Western
Europe. Likewise, the efforts in the M a s a m War
siiffer. with valuable mannower and other assets
in and around France, when they would likely be
better used to assault the heart of the rogue House
Tremere directly.
lgia do not appear to
tide of time and it is
where theyre coming
masters die with poisoned cups in their hands, while
valuable trade routes fall out of the hands of the
mages servants and into the grasp of the Tremere,
and leaders subtly influenced by wizards are removed
and replaced with those more blatantly controlled
by vampires.
Still, despite reeling from these blows in the
ongoing M a s a a War, the Order has taken stock of
its losses and has begun to adapt to the tactics of the
enemy. As a result, the situation has gone from a
standard of warfare and some courts in the region
host both magus and vampire under the same roof,
with each knowingly contending with the other to
assert authority over the Commoner rulers of the
city-states, whether noblemen or merchants. While
more open hostilities would probably be more swift
and efficient, this gentlemanly form of aggression
seems t o suit the temperaments of both sides bet
since it allows them to demonstra
cal and mystic prowess, but also
one emerge) will have t
What rites are c
and discomfort.
T h e Iberian Peninsula
Divided between Christian and Moor, Iberia is a
land of conflict. T h e Reconquista continues, though
it is now regarded much more as a matter of the
inevitability of Christian victory than as the heated
war it was even a generation ago+ T h e Order of
Hermes has members who stand o n both sides of the
conflict (heavily favoring the Christian side) and
many who do not care one way or the other. The
Muslim nations.
Aragon, Navarre and eastern Castile currently
harbor the largest Hermetic populations o n the penin-
sula (unsurprising,consideringtheirclosenesstoFrance),
though there are chantries to be found everywhere in
a. Almost nowhere is political and religious debate
in the Order as heated and dangerous as here. In
basic metaphysics. It is rare that a
t such a challenge being issued and
resence merely exacer-
mall number of highly political
Britain
The Order claims to have had a presence in the
British Isles since before there was truly an Order of
Hemes, in the person of Merlinius, magus to the
legendary King of Camelot. More pragmatic and less
romantic Hermetic wizards point to Diedne, the fae-
wise mage who was present at the Fellowships
foundation, as the first representative of the Order in
the Isles. Since that time, however, the Order of
Hemes has zealously expanded its presence in
ngland, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, mostly
via riding the tides of war between the island
kingdoms and France.
Few locales in the British Isles are suffi-
ciently civilized, by the Orders standards,
to warrant the presence of chantries. Lon-
don hosts the largest Order population in
the area, spread between two rather large
chantries, and York, Edinburgh and Dublin
each host one chantry apiece (though
Dublins chantry has been referred to by courteous
visitors as Spartan or humble and by less tactful SURROUNbiNGS
former guests as a crumbling, destitute little hovel).
There is also one other chantry alleged to exist in the
British Isles. Supposedly on aperpetually mist-shrouded
isle among the Orkneys (or perhaps just west of Ire-
land; accounts never seem to agree), this chantry is
believed to hold one of the mightiest Crays possessed
by the Order.
cbehoL9 LANO
While the Order has not
migration to Outremer that, i
does have a n abiding i
cbbyZANciN MpiR ANI3
In every way as much the ideological homeland
of the Order as Rome or Egypt, the lands encom-
passed by the Byzantine Empire, ironically, waned
considerably in importance to the Fellowship as the
Western Roman Empire fell into the Dark Ages.
Despite the fact that it would likely have made much
more sense for the Order of Hermes to relocate to
Byzantium, most of the magi descending from the
ercurys traditions were, by then, Europe-
er in Europe, even as the

most part, once

are somewhat more sly a

of the Ahl-i-Batin.
orresponding need for a stabilizing
Crossroads of faiths, Jerusalem i
things tomany differentpeople. Tothe
many young mages of the Order, idealistic and am-
it is an opportunity. Within 50 years after the First
bitious alike, have struck out to the Successor States
Crusade, the Order had established a chantry in Jerusa-
in hopes of founding new chantries, free of the
lem. Today, that chantryis one of House Ex Miscellaneas
convoluted tangles of enmity and allegiance that
greatest strongholds, controlled by the strange wizardly
invariably follow more experienced magi of the
family calling themselves House Castrovinci. Here, far
Fellowship. Some of these have even (with varying
fromDoissetep and the center of the Fellowshipspower,
degree of success) made overtures toward the native
rituals and studies that would be considered genius in
magi, of whatever Fellowship, in hopes of establish-
some parts of the Order and blasphemy in others are
ing more diverse and powerful chantries than they
conducted almost openly, rites and research aimed at
might with newly minted Hermetics alone.
perfection and apotheosis.
never fell under the tread of the legions feet. Where
Order of Hermes sees the opportuni
similate and, ultimately, rule.
Hungary and the Ca
Hermes. Despite its
Spirit-Talkers, most of these also local, but one or
two of them being Mongol newcomers.
While by n o means the barren wasteland that
the Order would wish to paint it as, Scandinavia has
not been particularly friendly of late to the Hermetic
Fellowship and so they have come to consider it a
barbaric, backward place. Truth be told, the north-
erly lands are much friendlier and more accepting of
le wavs of the Valdaermen, the Old Faith, the
presence back toward the westernmost expanses of
n sets on the ancient ways of the
the Orders interest in the
t conversions are gradually
, little else upon the African continent
reach out to the land of its origin. Most efforts to
establish chantries anywhere save within Egypt have
encountered antagonism and, frequently, violence.
Sometimes, this latter takes the form of Ahl-i-Batin
assassinations, and sometimes it comes much more
brutally and terribly, leaving only the tattered re-
mains of wizards and their apprentices. The Order
has come to understand that Africa is a dangerous
place for those who come armed with more ambition
than understanding, and its numbers in Egypt are
growing strong once more. Some believe that it may
be time to attempt to rebuild a power base in Alex-
andria and thereby to resurrect the Fellowships
glories of old.
elsewhcne
T h e Order of Hermes takes its power where it
may, and slowly works to expand into everyplace not
currently under its sway. Whether this takes the
chantries the world over and the
mystic arts everywhere bend kne
Primi. If the Fellow
known to it, rest
succor an enemy.
II. I shallnot thro
truin apprentices and instruct them in this Code. I bear
the entire responsibility for my apprentice, and shall duly
admonish, restrain, discipline or arrest an apprentice
who endangers the Order, and shall yield same appren-
tice to the Orders lawfully appointed agent OT Tribunal.
vrr. I solemnly swear to uphold this sacred
Code of Hemes, and venture any risk or sacrifice to
r
protect it. Should breach it, may all the mages of the
e Code of Hermes that the
 comprehend]
way, essentia
..1 1

RVOkiNC; Cb GiFC OF ADAM

(CORONA 0 )

Speech is what distinguishes men from beasts.

Other than the grace of the Creator, it is only the

be sculpted. (Alchemically perfected clay is also

suitable for use in crafting the golems body.) T h e
rite culminates with the invocation of the 72-Part
Name of God, the slightest mispronunciation of
which can strike the speaker dead instantly. If per-
formed successfully, this spell will grant the mage a
faithful and steadfast (if mute) servant possessed of a
titans strength and a pure heart. (Note that this
latter means that the golem will often wordlessly
refuse t o enact cruel or immoral commands.)
System: Naturally, this spell is best undertaken
as a n Ongoing Spell (and, thus, likely requiring a
massive outpouring of Quintessence and a not-in-
considerable investment of Willpower). Ifsuccessfully
cast, the Utterance of the SeventyTwo Names
animates a free-willed golem of the highest order,
with the following stats: Strength 10, Dexterity 2,
Stamina 8, Charisma 1, Manipulation 1, Appear-
ance 0 ( a massive, blocky, bipedal-
yet-completely-inhuman shape),
Perception 2, Intelligence 2, Wits 2.
The golem has 10 Health Levels: -0
(x4), -1 (x2), -2 (x2), -5, Incapaci-
tated, Destroyed, and has four dice of
armor that can soak any kind of
damage, and an effective Willpower
of 3.
T h e golem is a thaumavore and
must consume a point of Quintes-
sence per day or else lapse into a
deathlike slumber. T h e creator
may, at his discretion, deactivate
the golem at will (incurring n o ill
will from the creature),
reawakening it whenever h e
chooses by feeding i t a point of
Quintessence (often imbued into a
piece of paper, inscribed with one
of the Names of God, that is placed
i n the golems mouth). T h e golem
may be healed of any damage
short of its destruction with a n
Anima 4, Primus 4 spell ( o n e
Health Level mended per success).
A botch rolled in the casting of
this spell is likely to cause Scour-
ing Backlash (see Dark Ages:
Mage, pg. 139) or to instantly ani-
mate the golem with adark, twisted
and brutally destructive spirit.

pLr\pRS COOLbOX
Cb MASSASA WAR
You served briefly on the front,
lines of the Massasa War and know,
firsthand, what these undead magi
are capable of. You have witnessed
atrocities no human being should
have to see and have come to under-
stand the futility of it all. If the
Tremere wish to be vampires, then
so be it. You now seek to convince
your fellow Hermetic wizards to call
end to these hostilities and to conse
their strength for other, more imp
tant conflicts.
You are from a Transylvanian cha
and were chosen, along with a handful c
tices, to enter into talks with what the
Invoke, People o f t h e Sea, invokethe poet, t h a t he
may compose a spc:I1 for you.
For 1, the Druid, wt-IO set out letters in Ogham,
I, who p a r t combatants,
I will approach the rath o f the Sidhe t o seek a
cunningpoett h a t togetherwemayconcoct incan-
tations.
I am a windo f the sea.

One petal for love, one for its lack, another for love,
anotherfor lack. Love, thenlack.. .nomorepetals. Itis lack
- Esmerelda, village wise-woman in training
Although the Mother Church reigns supreme and
boundaries of Christendom extend to the reaches of
the known world, the Old Faith is found nearly every-
much the Inquisitors of the Church and the mi
ies of the White Christ try to up
endures, although those who be
may not endure forever.
Mages of the Old F
flame of the Old W
many different cultu
often foreign, even
certain things that u
albeit a loose-knit a1
itself as it is with outs
heritage, a common
Christian power, wh
all Mystic Fellowships,
way of believing, of livi
the faithful the power to wo
Although pagans co
places across the known
a Mystic Fellowship in its ow
Pagans, like other people, hold certain quali
highest importance. The most important of pagan
virtues are vitality, courage, honor, and generosity.
The ideal pagan of the Old Faith seeks to cultivate
these things and holds them dear.
Vitality: The Old Faith embraces life and all that it
has to offer. Therefore the ability to live life to its fullest
is among the most important pagan qualities. Pagans are
a vibrant, lively, earthy folk. They are given to physical
activities and direct participation in the work and cycles
of life. Even scholarly Old Faith mages do not shut
their laboratory and their library.
Pagans respect vitality and joi de tiwe in others and
placeagreatdealofemphasisonthequalityoflife.Unlike
the Christian faithful, who struggle and endure misery,
secure in theknowledgeoftheireventualplace inHeaven,
pagan folk tmbrace life and make the best Of what
have. Life is meant to be lived, not merely a-dured-
This virtue also means that pagans prefer death to
mbrace death as much as
he ability to enjoy life are
ith, and those without
ives in fear, branded
society - assuming
confuse the two), nor
,although that is a part
to adhere to the Old
world, where inquisi-
the mere accusation
doom. Many pagans
The opposite of courage is cowardice, perhaps the
vilest thing a pagan can be. A coward is nothing -less
than nothing - in pagan society. To be branded a
coward is a terrible stigma, leading many of the Old
Faith foolhardy of bravery to avoid even the
possibility of it.
Honor: Pagans value honor, meaning trustworthi-
ness, and dedication to a code of ethics that includes
these other virtues. Pagans say that a mans honor is all
that he really has in this life, and a person without
honor may as well be dead. In fact, most pagans con-
sider the loss of their personal honor a fate worse than
death. Better to die honorably than to live with the
shame of dishonor.
Among other things, honor means that a mans
word is his bond. Oaths and promises are sacrosanct
and a great deal of a persons standing in society is based
on the strength of his (or her) sworn word.
Generosity: The Old Faith also values generosity,
particularly toward the poor and unfortunate. The
community has a duty to help others, and those who
have been blessed with prosperity should share their
wealth with those less fortunate. Generosity is part of
rbe OLD r;obs
worship of Christ, seein
among many. Many were
Faith remain.
Though the ranks of pagan gods seem endless
primary figures tend to appear among the various
Peoples of Europe, these SOds often Pafiicula
roles, Or have dominion Over things Of imPflmce to
Pagans. Although mages ofthe 0 Faith might consider
aPafiiculargodor gddeSSaPamon, generally honor
them all, if only to be on the safe side.
Mother: Mother goddesses are quite common for
pagans, usually associated with the living Earth and its
bountiful growth (since women are the creators a-----
life). Danu of the Celts gives her name to the TI
de Danaan, or Children of Danu. Grain goddesses
like Demeter, Ceres, and Cybelle are worshipped in
Greece and Italy. Zemyna is the Baltic earth goddess
(along with a host of agricultural goddesses), while
Frigg, the mother-goddess of Scandinavia, is somewhat
~ v ~ r s h a d o w eby
d the goddess Freya, who has strong
associations with magic.
Father: The divine father-god is the companion
and consort of the mother goddess: the Good God
D a d a of the Celts, Zeus or Jupiter of the Greeks (or
Romans), Zemepatis, the Baltic Consort of Zemyna,
and the All-Father Odin of the north countries.
Sun: The life-giving sun is often associated with a
particular god, such as Apollo of the Greeks and
include the Greek moon
ana by the Romans) and the
iated with the night and
to strike down their
beasts of the wild,
serpents (zaltys) in Lithuania.
an gods are gods ofbattle. Indeed,
Celtic goddess Macha is the scarlet-haired raven of the
battlefield, whom all men justly fear. The Baltic god
Kavas (for whom the month of March is named in the
Lithuanian calendar) is their god of war. Ares and
Athens are honored as war gods among the Greeks,
called Mars and Minerva by the Romans.
~ ~ ~D~~~~~~ ~ ~ and
l iof healing : medicine are im-
portant to pagan folk whorely on the wisdom ofherbs
Baltic god of medicine.
Poetry: Poetry and storytelling are vital in a Dark
Medieval world with few other forms of entertainment,
even more so for pagan folk who often do not record
their history in any other way. Gods associated with
the spoken word include the Greek Hermes (or the
Roman Mercury), the Celtic Ogma, the Scandinavian
itself, and gods of magic are also often
and shapers of things. The Celtic Brid
brother Odin) amo
faeries (known for
the Greek Hermes,
much honored i
Bridget are common g
breath, and then another in the next.
PAGAN pRACCiCS
Pagans have their own ways about certain
and some of their traditions remain even in the
practices are often found among keepers of the Old
Faith, in one form or another.
Honor Price: When a crime or wrong is done to
someone, he may demand an honor price from the
perpetrator in recompense for the damage done. This
is an important part of preserving the honor of the
wronged party and seeing justice done. For some minor
slights and crimes, the honor price is small and sets the
matter right (since it also suffices as an apology and
crimes, including rape and murder, the honor price is
great, and the victim may choose to set it SO high as to
ruin the perpetrator (although this is considered harsh
unless the deed was truly foul enough that the
perpetrators life ~ h o u l dbe forfeit).
Storytelling: Many pagan folk are illiterate or
make little use of written language. Their lore is most
capable performers themselves, either tale-
or minstrels. Pagan cultures honor these
sks in tending the flame of the Old
that things must die
new life. The living
well as the people.
epared as a feast for the
the gods. Sacrificial
gods nourished and
its mortal caretaker must be
s sacrificed so that their deaths
- it once was, but there are some who believe that dire
times call for dire measures, that the waning fires of the
not all sacrifices need be willing-
rb WheeL OF Cb y A R
The cycles of the natural world are at the heart of
the Old Faith. Indeed, the seasons of the year are the
pillars of the Fellowships magic. So pagans acknowl-
edge and celebrate the turning of the Wheel of the Year
with various festivals. Many of these are tolerated
throughout Christendom, usually Christianized as the
 feast-days of various saint:j or other holy days, but their
pagan roots remain, and fcdlowers of the Old Faith still
celebrate them in secret. bur mages, rnese I
times of power for working magic.
Samhain(Oct3lst):Sa
een), also known as All Hal
Imib olc (Feb 2nd): Imbolc, also known
Candle!tllass, honors the re-awakening of the Eartl:
3 LU d LIU~C. I C U ~ K ~ I ~ I LdIlUlCb
I L arlu lires
gs to encourage the Earth goddess to throw
ced in small beds to represent the

transition from summer

time when the herds ar
cured for the coming winter e of the two days of the year
harvests of the year are arkness, are equal and
years labor, when the 1

inter grain, often with

ancestors and those who ha them. The person who
The veil between worlds is sa
Samhain night, and ghosts, faeri slored and painted and
may roam the world of the livi d find, along with small
Yule (Dec 21st): The
longest night of the year, whe tane, or May Eve, is the
of wintertime reaches its pea ation of its fertility and
encourage the Sun to wax stror s, known as bale fires,
celebrate the power of the light re
the Sun is reborn in the depth
although the Earth still slumbers under a blan
and, on Beltane night, young and

i
 Eve using a golden sickle and caught in a pure white
cloth. The druids performed sacrifices to the gods, both
animal and human, and read signs and portents from
them. The wisest and eldest of the druids learned the
secret paths of the Wyck and the hidden ways of the
world. They treated with the faerie folk and the pow-
erful spirits of nature.
When the Romans chose to conquer the Celtic
lands, they naturally saw the druids as the greatest
threat to their rule. Guided by their own magi (includ-
ing the nascent Cult of Mercury, which would later
become the Order of Hermes). the Romans svstemati-
cally slaughtered the druids, burning their sacred groves,
and depriving the Celts of their knowledge and guid-
ance. Some druids fled to the secret places of the world,
where they continued to maintain their traditions and
pass on their teachings, hidden from both the conquer-
ors and the annals of history.

Their works -stone circles, hill carvings, and such -

can still be seen in many places, and their influence is
still felt in many cultures, particularly those of the
ancient Celtic nations, what are now the British Isles
and parts of France. Now the Celtic tribes are gone but
for the memories, tales, and beliefs of the pagan folk of
Europe. Scattered survivors hold fast to the old ways,
working to keep them alive in the face of the future.
The Druids
The druids were the priests, scholars, philosophers,
judges, and mages of the Celtic peoples. They learned
and maintained the rituals that connected the people
with the sacred land and its cycles. The training of a
druid was long, requiring 21 years before it was truly
complete, and druids were expected to memorize the
vast body of Celtic history and lore in the form of epic
songs and poems. They learned astrology, herbalism,
law, and secret alphabets based on the elements of
nature, particularly trees.
The sacred symbols of the druids are likewise found
innature, particularly mistletoe, holly, and oak. Mistle-
toe was cut by the light of the moon on Midsummers
 Cult of H
In the nor1
the service of tl-
and mistress of

The Streg

the warm Mediterr

shock and scandalizl
By day, most strega
..t i l ^ --__
.
wmie ..:-:--_-
p d L L l L l I l g and keeping the old ways in secret. The natural world is a source of wisdom and under-
standing. The habits of beasts, birds, and flora are all
and rallying these keepers of the
the great challenges of the Fellows
rche Fwic OF rche mee:wis
OF Cbe 010F A k b
The lore of the Old Faith is not in musty to
ancient carvings. It lives in the minds and e
of those who keep the Faith alive and pass their
learning on to new generations of students and appren-
tices. It is a living knowledge, always growing and
changing. Therefore, the rates described here may
differ in name and appearance from place to place, and
even from mage to witch to druid or strega.
bWkCbiNG GLAMOUR(SpRiNG , nature of each person chooses it, and each may be
SUMMR .)
Witches are well known for their power to enchant
and ensnare the hp9rtc nf nwlinirrr mnrtalc anrl P X I P ~
N'C (SpRiNG ,
d for the ancient sorceress Circe,
island before the Greek hero
irce used her magic to bring out
of Odysseus' gluttonous crew,
swine. This potent enchant-
ment brings out the bestial nature of its subject or
subjects, turning them into the creature they are most
like at that moment. Gluttons become pigs or ravens,
for example, while tricksters may become foxes, cow-
ards become jackals or rabbits, the courageous become
lions, the loyal and obedient become hounds, and so
forth. The caster does not choose the form; the inner
affected differently, although the witch can certainly
arrange circumstancesto suit her desires. Laying a feast
in front of starving men is almost certain to get them to the wax of acandle, affecting the first nerson
r to breathe
become gluttons, for example. its fumes when it is lit.
System: One success and a point of Quintessence T h e! victim falls int.o a deep, death-like slumber arid
effects the transformation. The subject becomes a cannot 1se awakened. 1'he sleeping victim may be miis-
normal member of the particular animal species, with taken for- JU-C- dJU, mu
--l--- --- ciiLuiiiucu
wine have bccii -----L-J .-l:-.,. 1
uvc by
no awareness of previous human existence, only bestial their grieving and well-meaning loved ones. Fortunately,
instinct. The subject's clothing and possessions fall to the victim does not age or suffer from deprivation or the
the ground (and may be damaged or destroyed by the elements while in the enchanted sleep. The witch sets
transformation). Multiple subjects can be affected at one condition that will break the spell and awaken the
once; this requires Summer 3 and an extra success and victim. She may choose to tell the victim's loved ones or
point of Quintessence per person affected by th
Note that this lasts
unless cast as an ongoing s , along with 35 Quintessence and four
to cast on unwillin Willpower. When the victim is
wer roll (difficulty 7). Two
OOWSiNC;(SPRiNG overcome the spell's effects.
In the Dark Medi 1s into the slumber described
(difficulty 8) is required to
river or stream or
Knowing where to
tween endless hours the spell is undone by
and a well that can s ifficult, given the num-
come. There are si

read nature like an open

towns may engage the s of animals. The

System: One success fs

find a suitable spot for a we1
at all is to be found there. This d

GUXNAL SLUMbR(WiNrR .)
Many are the tales of curses cast by vengeful
witches, often against beautiful maidens, although the
tales rarely mention that the maidens are often the
daughters of lords and kings, and the witches were
persecuted or wronged by them. This curse, while
terrible, is also one of the kindlier ones the followers of
the Old Faith may inflict upon those who offend them.
The caster prepares a special potion of valerian, rare
mushrooms,and poppy. She may give it to the target of
the spell in food or drink, or place it upon a blade or a
sham n e d e . since onlv the sliehtest pinprick
- . is re-
ren be mix it with
FARi c;lsrWA9 (SPRING .)
The doors to the realm of Faerie open only at the
whims of its inhabitants, or sometimes followingwhims
of their own. Wise in knowledge of the Good Folk, the
mages of the Old Faith learn how to open the doors to
the Faerie Realm. The spell must be performed in a
suitable spot, usually far from civilization, in a place
that is in between, not fully one thing or another. The
most common sites are faerie mounds and faerie rings
(rings of mushrooms found in forest glades). Other
SDots include wooded -glades, the shores of lakes, ponds,
and rivers, the entrances of caves and caverns, and the
tops of lonely hills. The spell is best performed at dusk, can awaken great stones and even the Earth itself,
the twilight time between o the aid and defense of the
the difficulty by one. If performed Like Ancient Warder of the Land (Dark
culty is normal. During th e stones or sods rise up and take
A Faerie Gateway gu ape, shrugging off the strikes of
tality of the faerie folk nor t eapons and swinging fists capable of
Realm (which requires anot as snapping brittle twigs.
Generally, faeries are at least p ell must be cast in a place of open
proper respect to them. Trave e area with relatively many stones.
find that time Dasses str stones like castle walls and such
iant typically has the following
System: One success is rity 1,Stamina 8, Wits 1,Brawl
and permit a small number o ), -1, -2, -5, and it may soak any
(a half dozen or so). Each t directly damage its pattern
gravated damage). For ev-
aster may increase one Attribute
dditional -0 Health Level. The
structions and commands
world requires another casting of the spell. Attack my enemies or
until sunrise.) If the stone giant is
Cbe @ANTS bANC (AUCUMN , , it crumbles into a pile of
SpniNG 0 ) earth and small stones.
The legendary Wyck created many of the sacred
stone circles found scattered across Europe, particu-
larly in Celtic lands in western Europe and Healing and treating maladies of all sorts are
rnmmnn t,,L,~~,,..,itrhssandwisefolk.
the British Isles. Some say that
they made these places by trans- of the problem
b

forming giants or Stan -

of men into stone by
t h e light of t h e
moon. Whether
or not it is so,
the mightiest
magic of the
Old Faith
dispense the proper medicines, or work the right charm to
banish the problem. So this simple spellpermits the caster
to sense the patients condition. Casters using the Spring
Pillar sense the subjectswell-being (or lack thereof) and
from that can determine what condition troubles them.
Casters using the Winter Pillar sense the malady or
afflictionitself, its location and severity, and can choose
their course of treatment from that.
formation. Each success grants an
cbe boLLow biLL (s
and fantastic lands. The
vertently stepped into
come from the worki
creates a space that i
System: This is an on
objector container. Every a
the caster traces the inside and outside
of a Chantry Background (Dark Ages: Mage, pp. 83-84).
Backgroundpointscanbespenttoreducetheapparent size
of the chantry; each point so spent reduces the chantrys
exterior size to the next level down on the table, while the
interior size remains the same. So four points invested in
a chantrys size, with two points invested in reducing its
apparent size, results inafarmhouse orbam with the space
of a manor house within.
MAGIC MiRROR(AUCUMN .)
Knowledge is often the greatest power available to
mages, and the keepers of the Old Faith can use their
lore to pierce the veil of distance and scry other places
and things. Despite its name, this rote doesnt necessar-
ily involve an actual mirror. More often witches and
druids use still pools or cauldrons of water, dropping
small measures of sacred oils upon them and staring
into their depths seeking vision. Others do use actual
mirrors: silver, bronze, or sometimes treasured scrying
mirrors of black glass or polished stone.
System: The normal casting distance determines
a countryside and five to spy on a distant
mages may sense the casters scrying and
ent to cover the distance to
ted mounted knights
a single nights ride,
em seems to become
ur as they move ever
d ahead and behind
e travelers find that
destination in a mere fraction
travels for more than a day. Extensive interaction with
outsiders or stopping for more than a brief respite also
breaks the spell.
M o c b e R s bouNcY (AUcUMN
The time of harvest is one of celebration for the
bounty of nature and for preserving and storing that
bounty for the coming ofwinter. With their magic, the
keepers of the Old Faith encourage crops to be fruitful,
livestock to multiply and produce much milk, and
generally secure the bounty and the prosperity of na-
ture for their people. For many, this simple blessing is
worth more than the mightiest magic. It has its price,
however. The spell requires a sacrifice to ensure the
bounty of the land and its creatures. Most often this is
a small offering of fruits and grains, and perhaps an
animal. But in times of draught, famine, and great
need, the sacrifice must be greater, perhaps a human
offering to the gods. When the land withers and be-
comes ill, only the sacrifice of a sacred king will restore
its health (which makes many kings in the Dark Medi-
eval world ill at ease regarding the Old Faith).
System: The spell is a simple one. Only one
Success is needed, but the conditions ofthe spell may be
life. Thereafter, the head will answer any and all
questions the caster poses to it, to the best of its
knowledge and ability. Oracular heads often gain some
insights from the realms of the dead, but mostly know
what they knew in life. Regardless of the heads original
feelings, it is bound to obey the mage.
SCoRM bRewiNq (suMMeR
As they can ensure fair weather and good crops, so
too can the witches of the Old Faith brew storms in
their iron cauldrons. The cauldron or pot is filled with
ater and brought to a slow bubble over a fire as the
incantations and stirs up the waters,
s that give off asharp, pungent smell. As

1 they cover the sky and the

flash of lightning and the peal
greater sacrifice any s to drown crops and
down upon those who offend
ching used to mire

her quickly returns to its

entire county, an
tended spell, requiring a

ORACULAR bAb ( e. Thirty successes can

leave the cauldron for

breaking the spell, and
r helper must attend to
out. Once the storm
that make such grizzly works to maintain it.
inflict minor damage

witches and wizards took the heads of enemies

neValdaemen also know the of the oracularroads, and it is a simple thing for a traveler to become
head (Odinpresewedthe severedhead ofthe giant Mimir lost, ParticularlY if aided by the enchantments of a
to advise him; see Mimirs Head, p. 99). The knowledge witch. Tales tell of the stray sod, the paths through
may also exist in other lands. There are tales &at &e the and deep woods that lead People astray,
oracular head of John the Baptist (with ties to &e Messi- ending them in Places far from where they began Or
anic~oices)advisesthe KnightsTempiar,al&oughsome sending them around in circles endlessly. A rising mist
say hatthe head in question is referredto as Baphomet or fog accompanies the magic, making it more difficult
and is far older and more powerful. to see landmarks. The victim strays, ending up any-
System: Cast as an ongoing extended spell, requir- where except where he intends to go.
ing 10 successes, with one roll per day of work. Pay 13 System: A simple spell, requiring only one success.
auintesSence points and two willpower points to fix Each success increases by one the difficulty of the
the spelland bring the severed head to a semblance of victims Survival rolls to avoid becoming lost, and the
spell calls for an immediate Survival roll at the in-
creased difficulty. (Keep in mind that if the spell
increases the difficulty above 9, it remains at 9, but the
victims requires an additional success per point of
increase above 9). A failed Survival roll means the
victim is lost. A botch means that he is hopelessly lost,
and may even stumble into some hazard (including
stepping off into a gully or falling into a mire).
wi-ccbs w i N b (spRiNG 0 )
The witches of the Old Faith can whistle up
Weaving the wind is not so di
buildings, with a po
is to fill the sails of
leave vessels adrift.
wind, the caster can
forward, forcing them
casters find a myriad o
System: The successe
roll become the effective
blows in whatever
wi-cbeniNG CURS (
Among the most drea
command is the ability to cause
grows weaker and weaker, wasting away until there is
no strength left, and death comes as a merciful release.
The witch may choose to undo the curse before it is to0
late, or someone may convince her to do so. the
witch puts an end to the curse.
SYstem:EachsuccessgeneratedonthesPellcasting
roll inflicts one Health Level of lethal damage, which
can be soaked with Willpower. The damage is inflicted
at the rate of one Health Level per day until the total
damage is done or the victim dies. If the caster is not in
uncing curse,
then additional successes must be devoted to distance,
using the normal casting distance guidelines (Dark
Ages: Mage, p. 104).Casters with Winter 5 can inflict
aggravated damage with a Withering Curse.
eLixks
The mages of the Old Faith make use of various
items in their magical work. Theyre particularly known
for brewing up different elixirs and potions. Most are
eputation of witches as poi-
aith produce this strong.
the most magical and
for this potion comes from the wisdom of the Old Faith:
a mixtureOf hot, spicyherbs is soaked in vinegar, then
both drunk and rubbed into the &in (leaving a distinc-
tive odor). Anyone protected by a draught and rubbing
with Four Thieves Vinegar is rendered immune to
disease for a matter of hours. The elixir does not grant
the legendary invisibility; that comes from passing
unharmed among the sick and dying, who have far
more important things on their minds.
The vinegar requires Summer 2 to brew, creating
one dose per success on the magic roll.
cult to reinforce it
so that it becomes
genuine,or at least
to make it binding
so that a night of
indiscretion offers
a hold over the ob-
ject of the users
affections.
It takes a to-
tal of 10successes
to brew a love
philter using
Spring 2 and
Summer 2.

PLAyRS
rcooLl3ox
Players inter-
ested in exploring
different aspectsof
the Old Faith and
its diverse mages
may considersome
of the following.

I<pRS OF
Cb SACRb
FLAM
You are
heir to a truly an-
cient and moue

-
of their ancestors alive in their own ways,
A BUNOLE OF SCiCkS
Part of the Old Faiths strength has always been
its diversity, but that has also been a weakness in recent
years. Unlike other Fellowships, the Old Faith is a
rudderless ship, without a leader, with each mage doing
Talkers will understand the others magic, because the
language Of the spirits is
ANiMiSM
The belief that natural phenomena have souls or

Gauntlet that others lack; it is the Foundation of all of

opposes spirit, and through those acts they feel the slow-beating

untowield ne

You have sworn to oppose the Inquisition and to

protect its victims, but will your efforts save lives or
simply fan the flames that threaten to engulf all believ-
ers of the Old Faith?

hear? The wind howls. Its

. Men to propitiate spirits and ghosts that do not make any

plain everything shes doing in detail to her curious (or

befuddled) cabal, so after the twentieth explanation,

by some of her odd habits. She grabs up a handful of dust

er to do these things, though she
distress. When the party leaves,

eep them from seeking out her

he reasons behind her behavior

-LA-*- ,.c,.-,. ..Le-\ ..I.- --..&.,,.

reborn
natures of others. Any time they try to share that
knowledge, however, their explanation is likely to be
seen as odd (at best). And, of course, if the shaman is
ever wrong, then she's lost a great deal of credibility,
even though, all in all, her insights into the nature of
things is quite valuable.
Anyone opting to play a Spirit-Talker character
should give some serious consideration to what it
means to have a Sensitivity Foundation, and how best
to roleplay that experience.

While they may use (more or less) the same Pillars,

ery little else that is shared by all factio

wever, were an animis-

Id have certainly been
Spirit-Talkers,drawing on the power of the spiritsto work
their magic. For more information on the Mongol hordes,
check out Mongols: Wind from the East.

FINNS
Finland lies between Sweden and Russia, and
frequently got caught up in skirmishes between the
two. In the 12'h century, Sweden invaded Finland, northern reaches of Scandinavia, Novgorod, north-
ostensibly to Christianize the country and set up a western Russia and Siberia. These people of the
bishopric. They had a great deal of work to do. The midnight sun, stuck in endless day in the summer and
animistic bent of the Finns was deeply entrenched, and endless night in the winter, have a long-standing
the lore of the spirits never was entirely eradicated from reputation as bizarre and dangerous spell chanters,
the hearts of the common folk. The mythology of the wizards and peasant shamans. The magic of the Finns
Finns (later compiled into an enormous national epic is rooted in shamanism. These shamans of the north
called the Kulevula) is unusually intricate and includes undertake visionary journeys into the darkness and the
mention of (and prayers to) any number of disparate cold using the reindeer and the great white bear as their
spirits, from moon spirits to the more mundane spirits totem animals. They worship nature and believe that
of fabric or farm implements. everything contains a secret soul that can only be seen
The Finnish sub-faction of the Spirit-Talkers is by those with the gift of magic. They also worship the
;weden and Letts in deceased and visit graves to commune with the ghosts
can be found in the of the departed.
 In the far northern wastelands, occupied only by
arctic animals and giants, seithr and the Finnish forms
of shamanism blend into one another, and the myths of
the Norse and Finnish cultures intermingle promiscu-
ously. Farther south, however, the two take on more
Norse Spirit-Talkers attend largely to the spirits of
the dead. They commune with ghosts and seek answers
from the shades of those who have passed from the world.
While not as flashy as the necromancy of the Valdaermen
svahholdr, the insights of the volva are remarkable.
make extensive use of the spirits of the elements
speciALcies
The core of the Spirit-Talker Fellowship is ani-
mism- the awareness of, and interaction with, spirits.
What kind of spirits the shaman deals with is likely to
determine what her magic is like and what kinds of
rotes shes likely to use. It has no effect on what Pillars
she uses; it simply affects what the mage thinks shes
doing when she casts a rote using a particular Pillar. A
Spirit-Talker who gets information from a wise ghost,
savvy to the ways of the dead, may not speak with the
spirit of Owl, but both are accessing the knowledge of
the Wise One.

be crazy, if not hereti-

While its technical ible for a Spirit-Talker

character to come from ere, such a character is

main cultures (Mongol, Finn or Norse) that recognizes

the Sight for what it is.
There remain in Celtic England more than a few
madmen and madwomen who have the Sight.
They typically live outside their villages and suffer the
status of an outcast until someone in the village needs
their abilities. More than most, the form of the Sight
known throughout England is heritable (often with red
hair and generally from the mother). Even those trying
:o breakfronI their families legacies of involvement
with spirits nlay find themselves challenged to do so.
2--- ,L
LwLic WLLll Llle Sighthave been called to the Church to
be monks or nuns, but they frequently find that theyre
not welcome unless theyre capable of expertly ignor-
ing the spirit world. Such madmonks and nuns (and
* \ 1 c 1.
 The dead may give up their physical presence in Or her People*
the world, but that does not necessarily mean that they NArunespinirs
have left the world or that they are powerless in it. The
Norse sagas are filled with stories of eerie uolvus going Animism ascribes a soul to everything, including
- boulders, trees and animals. The difference between
to the graves of their ancestors to seek guidance frorn
the wise dead. calling on the gods of nature and the spirits of nature is
1 1. , 1 almost non-existent, and the Spirit-Talker who com-
While Valdaermen may animate Doales to do their
munes with the spirits of nature might easily blur the
bidding in the physic:a1 world, the seithkonas of th e
boundaries between Spirit-Talkers and Old Faith mages.
north practice their oIwn version of necromancy, one A Spirit-Talker who focuses on the spirits of na-
re that ghosts cannc
le legions of the deal
do not know (or car

Owl (or Oak). That

on the dead
detached view of the w
Spirit-Ta lkers shiver.

ANCCSCORs p i R i r s

long after their deaths.

an impact on the spirits
and aghost subjected t
and expectation is lik ange into something
different over time. A spirit is a ghost whc
has, with time, lost his individual identity and mergec
in some way with an :A l U C d UI a ~ Y I ~ D Oto
l . _ l L 1
L Decome
others cannot. Worse, 99 out of 100 Europeans of
something greater.
Agreat warrior killed in battle will first be mourned,
and then remembered asi a great warrior. As the deeds
of the warrior are retol d, they grow larger and the The exceptions to this rule take place in the rural
details shift until the 1tale is based more on what. hamlets of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, which are
with the teller-7- 1rleart - - -..- -1
tnan on any actuai
~
1 predominantly Christian but believe that God blesses
deed the warrior may ha ve performed. the mad. For that reason, they may be inclined to
tolerate the lunatics behavior, so long as it doesnt
This same process aff ects the ghosts of those knouJn become offensive and so long as hes not part of a bund
for their wisdom, for thell :..,.1,c., l c v c ~ 1 1 ~ ul
-* L-.. ---
3 ~ 1u1 L I ~ C I Igreat
L t ^ : -

leadership. These spirits, more than any others, are the
representatives of the Chieftain, the Trickster, the
Warrior and the Wise One.
A Spirit-Talker who worships ancestor spirits is
likely to see the four Pillars of her Fellowship simply as
of lunatics, which is likely to make even the most
compassionate villagers nervous.
Finland is the notable exception to this rule.
Spirit-Talkers there are seen, accurately, as speakers
with the spirit world, and they are frequently given
 vors difficult to find, capture
s element is water, and its
You see the spirits,

The Dark Mediev y re inclined to say that

of violence. The Warr eat. How do you deal with
remain in the village, or
others who also see the

and luck in battl

great deal of pain for

e OR wise
wise elder - a te
e Dark Medieval

the owl.
pLA9?7SCOOLbOX
Spirit-Talkers often seem the least common of all
the Mystical Fellowships, but the fact remains that
almost every large village has its crazy lore wife or
enlightened hermit. While not all of these are Spirit-
Talkers, theres more than a handful, ranging the
length and breadth of Europe
The CbRiSCiAN ONSLAUGbT
In Finland, the Balkans, and even certain re-
gions of Cymru and Eire, the Christians have yet to
arn what they know. Powerful mages even learn to
ve the animals do their bidding.
System: Communicating with animals requires only
Wise One 2. To have the target animab) carry Out the
mages orders also requires Chieftain 1. A single success
allows a mage to speak with one animal during a given
scene.Amagewhogets twosuccessescanspeakwithabat
and ad% in the SameScene, for example. The I U ~ O f
X ~
successes the mage gets also determines how complex the
instructions can be. One success allows for simple com-
mands (e.g., Dont bark or Throw your rider.) while
fives successes lets the mage convey even very complex
orders (e.g., Wait until the moon rises, then scurry down
into the prison. Find where theyre keeping t
in to him. If hes injured or dead, come back and tell me The mage may make one roll for every hour of in-game
by the time the sun again rises.). time spent on the ritual. The mage must get one success
Note: if the mage uses dream magic and simply sleeps for every point of the spirits Essence. After 24 hours, the
a few hours near the animal he Wants to communicate mage needs to make a Stamina roll before each magic roll.
with, this rote requires only Wise One 1. The difficulty of the Stamina roll stam at 5 but goes up by
one every six hours.
bANiSh rbe SpiRkS OF WAR
(CbieFCAiN 0 0 0,wARRioR 0 0 , w i S e o N e 0 0 0 ) sbiFriNG(wiseON )
The spirits can incite conflict where it did not exist

be shifted from its

nerous curses, even a

imilar targets as well.
things up of their own been cursed so that

Breeds in the area of effe

leave the area of effect or

must make a Will

ould take 20 or more

e how many successes are

themselves with no ro

may bind a spirit into

get the benefit of the
onsthings while othersmay need to visit the deceaseds

kind ofspirit the Spirit-Talkerbinds into the vessel. This
rote does not help the mage locate or subdue the appropri-
ate type ofspirit, but simply binds &e essence ofthe spirit
into the vessel made by the mage.
System: The mage first needs to specially prepare a
vessel of the highest quality for the spirit. If the vessel is to
be a walking staff, then it must be made of sturdy wood of an
appropriate type for the inhabiting spirit and it must be
intricately carved with designs that please the chosen spirit.
Once the is the shaman begins a
long period of fasting and chanting to coax the spirit into
generations of wise w ~ ~ can e nprovide a Of answers,
after all.
System: Roll Sensitivity + Wise One*Each Success
allows the shaman to speak with the ghost for one turn.
She must be at the grave of the deceased or someplace
important to the person in life. With Wise One 3 she can
summon the shadefrom anywhere, while Wise One 4 can
cause it to manifest. The mage can hear the ghost nor-
mally and sees it as it remembers or imagines itself. Others
cannot see the ghost and those who dont understand
whatthe mage is doing may think shesmad. If the mage

i
 bigger, crueler and more dangerous. The very shadows
seem to menace those who would cross him.
System: Roll Sensitivity + Chieftain (or Mar-
rior). The mage immediately seems more menacing,
andfor the res; of the scene, add his successes on that
roll to his successefj on any Intimidation roll. Everyone
around the mage iwill feel the effects of this rote, but
1
those tne mage turns his full displeasure on suffer the
effects the most. One success causes most enemies

Essence ratings of 20 or 1 grant the shaman the

person the rnage has ever

hin 10 feet of the

run its course and
ds on the shaman
but for their retainers an
horses as gifts or bribes. t, for one full day, to get
System: Foreachsucce asnt made his way to the
roll, the mage summons on ires, it wears off and the
to use. Animals so sum

creatures in the material world. Most such creatures must

TheTrickstersrelationship to authority is difficult at

and willful creatures.

iRON GLAW (ChieFCAiN ., WARRiOR .)

Terrible is the wrath of an angry sorcerer. Even those
who dont know the shaman inquestion know intuitively
that he is aformkhble OPPonent. This rote e d ~ n c e the s
-- I S S frightening appearance immensely, exaggerating
?ry odd, disturbing or scary thing about him. He seems
best. The shaman calling on the Tricksters power can
counter the sway and charm of even the most charismatic
and authoritative speaker, making even a wise and re-
spected kings words sound like utter nonsense.
System: ~ ~ sensitivity
1 1 + Trickster. sue-
cess cancels Out a Success on any Charisma roll made by
the target. If the mage gets more Successes than the
targeted speaker, treat it as if the target botched his
Charisma roll and misspoke or did something else to
make himself look like an utter and complete fool.
OCbRSkiN (CRiCltSCR 0 )
The Trickster enjoys causing confusion of all sorts.
By granting the mage the ability to change sexes, the
Trickster spirit enables the mage to cause all manner of
shocking mischief.
System: The mage changes sex. The effect lasts until
the dawn of the next day. Two successes are required to
complete this metamorphosis. If the shaman has extra
successes beyond these two, they can be added to Cha -
risma, Appearance, Leadership or Subterfuge on a
one-for-one basis for the duration of the rote.
away from her. For the duration of the battle, the winds
whirl around the shaman and blow incoming arrows off
target, keeping the mage safe from harm.
System: For every success on the magic roll, one
success is taken away from the archers successes for the
rest of the scene. This rote only protects against missile
weapons; handheld melee weapons hit normally.
SLip cbe SbAbOW (CRiCltSCR OR
rnicksrea ,wise ON 0 )
Some Spirit-Talkersknowhow to split their shadow
off from their body and send it to perform tasks of some
sort. Some shadows simply act as distractions, while
others are spies, relaying everything they see or hear
back to their material self (the shaman). While the

time to time, on t
This rote gives the ma
manner of outrageous
from standing one-legge

those that are sim

not a combat rote

da. Should that

power has returned to

all ones are treated as two dow as well. His former
SLF p o s s e s s i o N (c

self-control is fund

herself has no busin

controlling his behavior.

System: Roll Sensitivity + Chieftain. For the rest
of the scene, subtract the shamans successes from all
attempts to possess or mentally control him.
SbLCRiNG W i N b S
(CbiFrAiN ,WARRiOR O)
are reputed to through
storms of arrows without ever even being nicked; this
rote is responsible for those tales. The mage Using this
rote speaks with the wind and asks it to steer arrows
pace of a lazyhalf-speed dream. The shamansenemy
can feel himself slowing down and simultaneously sees
the rest of the world speeding up (relative to him), but
theres nothing he can do about it.
System: Roll Sensitivity + Trickster. Each success
slows one target, giving him an initiative of one for the
duration of the scene and reducing by one the difficulty to
hit him. M~~~~~~~rate drops to one quarter
with the Celerity Discipline find that
they lose one additional action per turn per success

.. .
 System: For every success on a Sensitivity + War-
4,the vampire is treated as any other target and his rior roll, the shaman adds one success to his next
initiative number becomes one for the rest of the scene. Archery roll. Extra successes,as usual, roll over into the
damage roll.
SpiRiC ARMY (CbkFCAiN ,WARRiOl7
0. 0 , wise ON 0 . 0 )

One. The water

amans successes.
exterity ratings equal
whatever is handy (tr by the shaman. Non-
themselves apart to beco
and whole forests will u

Skeletons (Strength spirits of war are never

Brawl 2, Melee 4)
being. Though called
6, Brawl 4,Melee 1)

Brawl 3, Melee 2)

3, Brawl 3, Melee 3)
Animated Armor (Strength3,Dexterity3, Stami
6, Brawl 2, Melee 4)
The spirits inhabiting the vessels are intelligent
entities. They obey the mage who summoned them
with a slavish devotion and depart the vessel they
inhabit when the duration ends or when the mage
drops the spell. Obviously, this exceedingly powerful
rote is best performed as an extended spell.
spinic+uiWb ARROW (wAnRioR 0 )
The ~~~~~l~ are known for being war-
riors and exceptional archers. At least part of their
reputation for archery stems from the common use of
this rote by the Mongols shamans. B~ calling on the
spirits to direct their arrows, spirit-Ta1kers can hit
shamans weapon, but they suffer its effects nonethe-
less.
System: It takes three turns of intense waking
dreaming to call the dreamblade into existence. Mages
may chant or growl or perform breathing rituals during
this time. O n the fourth turn, the mage is ready for
battle. Regardless of the type of weapon the mage is
wielding, damage is dependent upon the successes
gained on a Sensitivity + Warrior roll. Since it is
invisible, attempts to dodge the dreamblade are made
at +1 difficulty. The dreamblade does [Strength +
successes] dice of aggravated damage. Since it is partly
a product of her will, the dreamblade remains in exist-
ence for one turn per point of permanent Willpower
possessed by the mage. For the rest of the scene the
shaman can re-conjure the blade by spending only a
single turn remembering how the dreamblade felt in

mage is through such an aperture, however, the mage may

expire along with it, as he takes up to four dice of
aggravated damage (determined by the Storyteller based
on how muchof the mage was still stuckwhen he reverted
back to his rigid form). Needless to say, the pain that goes
along with such a mishap is excruciating.
 Many residents of Scandinavia in the Dark Medi-
eval, including those who study magic, are farmers,
qowing grains or raising cattle. While somevaldaermen
v v
nay be able to nudge the strings of fate to bring
hemselves a life of wealth and ease, thats not the
ipproach followed by most rune-singers.]
CROL L OOMR
TheNorse word best expressingthe whole of what we
hink of as magic is T r o l h r . It covers all manner of
iupernatural phenomena from magic use to mystical
>lacesand creatures. Trolldomr comprises the two main
nagical traditions of the Norse: sgae-craft (rune magic)
md seithr (the divinatory spirit magic practiced almost
2xclusively by women). Runes, which Odin provided to
:he world, are the purview of the Valdaermen, while seithr
is the magic of the Spirit-Talkers, and according to
legend, came to women from Freyja. This section pertains
solely to those Norsemen who make use of the magic of
the runes. Those wanting more information on seithr and
the magic used by the female seers of the northland are
directed to the section on the Spirit-Talkers.- _
While they arent as tied into the rest of the culture
as the two Fellowships listed above, mages of the Old
Faith are also well represented in the northlands.
Frequently it is difficult to tell the difference between
the blood runes of the Valdaermen and some of the
blood-spilling magic of the followers of the Old Faith.
FAC ANb FACALiSM
The everyday perspective of the Norse people was
that Fate waspredetermined and that there was very little
one could do to struggle against it. The three Noms spin
the threadofmens lives, measure it out according tosome
formula known only to them, and then cut it when the
individuals time is done. W h y some live to hoary old age
and others die in childhood is a secret unknown even to
the wisest. Even the fate of Odin and Thor, the mightiest
 I .

lar Valdaerman gives his highest respect to depends a great &e pr(>hlemwith.playin$ a worshiper of Loki in a
deal on h i 5 temperament. game,however, is that they are exceedinglyselt-centered.
Consequently, thev have very little motivation t c i remain
Easily the most revered god among the ruhe-singers, -with 2 group for any length of time (assumingthey Jont
@din is a complex god w h o appeals t o something in the get foiind out and whackeJ hefore they even have a
nature of 311 \:alclaermcn. He embodies sacriiice - Rl,it, chancetoleave).1fyoucnncurne~ipa.ithar~~ssnforsuch
the FounJgtion oiValdaermen magic -as nopther god ;I niage to commit to such a group, the roleplaying
does, and as such his place among the Valdaerm*.n is challenge can he intense.
secure. Odin is a god of extremes, a god of endings, a god
of cunning and curiosit\?;when he has a g d , there is 1-1,~ yorse of thunder is a god gi\,en
nothing he will not do to reach that g a d The All-Father cre3encehy ~ ~ l TI,^,,.d,> nc,t~ a ~ of ~ ~ ~
is a role model to AI Valdaermen in that way. Odins tho,rqht, or on rhe cc,ntmry,he is
deeds illuminate the path of knowledge for all the rune- as a if sc,mewhatdense, \j,arrior - :Ittack
singers who follow him. True magical knowledge is dogo f ~ s j i a r d ~. ~ may
~ Fayl the ~ j l i p; , ~ ~
worth ,ilmostanysacrific~,and it is rhroughwcrifice that. srr\,icp t;,,In

tc) hut most conslL~erThor a
knowledge of magic is ohtained. Sometimes being zun- ~,uffoon a r]upe (,f the real rower players. A
ning is enough to get the answers he needs, but on those vaijaerman mav TI,^),.'^ nalne in runes for cer- ~

occasions when cunning. alone isnt enough, he hasthc [:,in ~ , ~spells, l dpartizularly
~ ~ stc,rm-sun,muning i)r 1.
dedication and tortitudc to get hts knowledge the hard lightning ilttc,ck,., but t;,r the m(,st pclrt, rl,e thunder
way. He expects all Valdaermen t o do likewise. god doesnt do much for the rune-singers.
Odin is an enigma. He is god of strategy in ;I land The Norm
of warriors, a qod of cunning where cunning folk (men in , Crda, Skuld md Verdandi are the thred a,omen who
partii-tllar) are suspect and a god of death in a land where spin, cLltthe jtrands ofrllensli\,es. is they,
death iseasy t o come hy. Like the All-Fiither, Valilaermen not the p d s , who h,we the most jtty in the unfolding of
are inclined to he enigmatic, grin1 and cunning G k d \vorld, kno\,, all OJiu l,ii,,sel+hac gc,ne
in the Dark Mediewl, it is for this as much a s fL)r their t ~then,
) on occc3siontO learn future holJj, F ~ ) ~
magic that they are knc%n. th:it reason. some Valdaemien o r Vnldaerkona hold the
Any Valdaerman using the Galdrar Pillar exten- N ~ in highesr ) ~ re\,erence.
~ E \ . ~if ~ pa17,cular ,,,ne-
sively is dealing with the power of the All-Father. Odins sinSer Lioesnt feel \l,orshipthe N ~on , ~ ~
sacrifice won the Pillar of Secrets for mankind, a d those regular basis, tilose us,nr: ~ ~ pillar~ L3rlf l fie. ~ ) ~
who use it owe him at least respect if not fealty. As Odin ql,entlv calllng on the powers oftheN ~ an^, would ~ do~ .
is also the great wayfarer oithe Norse, those using the w,ell to hl,nor appr,)pr,ately. e 1
Fiira Pillar in their magic are also likely to he int.okinp
Freyja
the Gallows God. ,
Valdacrmen d o not pay any particular homage to
Freyja, although the imiilzlrr, the.Norsc Spirit-Talkers,
All cunningfdk arc not cut fromthe iamecloth.Wiik revere her ibi the mother (,fa[[ je,thkona
Cdin i5 cunning in il clever, steal thy way, Loki heats him
hands down when it comes to sheer deceit and pitting TYr
enemiesagainst each other. A small minority t)fValdaermen
F x more than Thor, Tyr is the god that most
p y fealty to Loki. While rune-singers who revere OJin xc
\ialdaermenare likely to invoke when using the Hj:ildcir
Pillar. As the g d of Iwttle. the more standard fonns ot
sacrifice as empwering and ennobling, those who warship
Loki see it as more of a necessary evil. If, through 3 small battle magic -those h l i f i g with strateq, weapons anJ
&ifice, they can inoite others to sicrifice theinsclves LV armor,in pxticulLir- are likely to involre aVal,laerm;m~
mw,the followersof Loki willhappily do so and &count f k ) r invocation ofTyr. It is rv~irthnoting that Tyr is the only
I

~ o whod has a rune named after him.

..& - . 111.. ..
especially if the livestock are your last or if the victim
hanged in honor of Odin is your only son -may make
one feel the sting of sacrifice, but it is not the same as
giving of ones own blood or losing an eye in the pursuit
of greater understanding.
Characters who claim that sacrificing others is in
keeping with the principle of B18t are mistaken. Not
only is volunteering the death of another (human or
otherwise) neither ennobling nor empowering, it re-
veals the individual as a coward who knows nothing of
the true power of self-sacrifice.

Cb ARGR SCiGMA
The Norse adjective urgr mean

constantly being accused

argument went, was for th
of inflicting their will o
used magic because it wa

For a man to use magic was conside

cal and questionable at best.
Elder E&, Loki dares to ques
of Odin himself for us
the Gallows God can
a certainty that a ma
to take constant

battle or some other way.

To their way of think-
hs walked by a hundred
easier for men functioning
or for women, though very
in the deep halls of the
to become Valdaerkona.A woman
1to these mages like lovers,
is much more likely to
Though these Valdaermen
seer) than a Valdaerkon
those who do not know
and the eerie magic us
y find that their secrets

dent or soft Valdaermen are

tion of what Valdaermen are and what they look like,

and that stereotype is accurate about 10percent of the
time. In truth, Valdaerman magical praxis is quite
varied depending on a given mages interests and place
of origin.
Asatru Mystics: Galdrar
Among those Valdaermen who remain in their
homelands, most maintain a reasonable balance in the
Pillars they study. Galdrar, being Odins own Pillar, is
the most widely studied, and any rune-singer without
any driving interest in specializing in a particular Pillar
will likely be more versant in Galdrar than any other.
provide themselves with comforts that they could not
get through sheer work alone. These mages are stuck
with a double stigma: Not only is their masculinity
called into question to begin with because of their use
of magic, but they compound the sin with (what
appears to be) laziness (though Valdaerkona following
this path dont suffer from the urgr stigma, they may
problems from men who envy and
their wealth). The is somewhatdifferent.
Learning magic is far harder work than crafting helms,
building longboats or pillaging towns, and thosewho
benefit from their studies in a physicalor monetary way
are, in their own minds at least, entitled to whatever combat for the purposes of more violence. Combinmg
comfort they 1lave forged for themselves. Galdrar with Forlog results in necromantic techniques
Such mages often build enormous mead halls for that manipulate death and the dead in ways that
1
themselves and retain vassals to guard them and their redound to the mages benefit - using corpses to
riches though, truth be told, any Valdaerman with increase wealth or knowledge, for example. Combin-
enough mastery of Forlog to attain such a hall has ing Galdrar with Fara is more likely to result in pulling
ample magical skill to thwart the plans of any common aparticular ghost from the lands ofthe dead to question
brigand, thug or thief. Not infrequently, hamlets may it; alternatively, it might allow the VaHaerman to
grow up on the outskirts of such a mead hall, with the make the journey to the A f t e m d d and deal with the
Valdaerman taking on the role of the local jarl. dead on their territory.
)rt and riches are the hallmarks of these
ey wrap themselves in
eir retainers with plenti
rds rote from Dark
find that theyre willing to
of outrageous accusations s place in the Afterworld
provides them.
Wayfarers: Fa1
The bored, the I
visit places that a
wayfarers specialize
surprise that there are many
and bypassing dista
ost entirely on the magic of

have landed on the

Iceland and Greec
warriors of the time.
returned with items
L
. . *L. ct
cvcu L d l L l l C l C d S L Llian
^-_^- ^^^C

tion is directly due to t

Wayfarers slice distance to

emselves to the exclusive study of

While some Wayfarers

of all the Valdaer

e-singers are fine with
coastal cities -Uppsala,
navigation skills for a fee.

ANDGALDRAR !JAMRAMMU77 (ShAp ShiFCRS): bJALbAR

One adopted by many is
necromancy* The Winter Men Of Kaldheim (see Dark
Ages: Mage, PP. 153-1551are the foremost Practitio-
Of Norse necromancy, and Of its
techniques trickle out from that odd village.
There is no single Pillar of Valdaerman magic that
grants control of the dead, but those Specializing in
necromancy combine Galdrars connection to Fate
and secrets with other Pillars to achieve certain necro-
mantic spells. Combining Galdrar with Hjaldar, for
example, results in a spell to animate a corpse killed in
Not all types of shape shifting are for purposes of
war, but study of the Hjaldar Pillar grants the ability to
slip from human shape to the shape of an animal. The
easiest animals to take the shape of are ravens, bears
and wolves, but avaldaerman is not constrained to just
those shapes. At earlier levels, a hamrummur might be
able to understand the logic of a predators mind, while
later on it allows the rune-singer to take on the full
shape of such a creature while later still it allows him to
assume the shape of an unnaturally large or powerful
version of a given animal (a wolf the size of a large

I
I
l
horse, a falcon with enough speed to snatch arrows
from flight, etc.). When using a shape shifting Hjaldar
specialty, you can re-roll any die that comes up 10,
thereby possibly gaining even more successes. Special-
izing in one predatory animal alone allows the standard
specialty feature and -1 difficulty for that shape.
pLAYRS COOLbOX
Valdaermen travel throughout Europe and can
be found nearly anywhere. There are many hooks a
player can use t o get her Valdaerman character into
the action of a Dark Ages: Mage game.
rbe scoun~e
OF chnisziiwirg
By 1230 almost all of the Norse lands have
been Christianized. Only pockets of those revering
increasingly rare as the Christians use means both
martial and mercantile to push their god o n other
lands. Its possible that a Valdaerman character
might decide to use his power to counteract the
influence of the Christians in his homeland and
possibly even abroad.
rb LUR OF I c N o w L ~ ~ G ; ~
Valdaermen are known for the lengths theyll
go to in olcitaining knowledge of all sorts. A
Valdaerman 4:haracter may risk a great deal to find a
great Wonde r, study with a new teacher or venture
t o a new land . This might entail travel to the strange
distant regioi
Africa, India
becomes, hou
it worth to you?
Cbe MAGk OF Cb NORCb
Valdaerman magic is inherently performative.
Norsemen see the act of carving runes for magical
effect as the sort of thing that the whole community
should see, and for that reason it should be moderately
entertaining as well as effective. Performing magic in
front of a crowd is considered auspicious and helpful,
while magic performed alone is automatically morally
suspect, presumed to be mischievous at best and ma-
levolent at worst. While this is a fine approach in
Scandinavia, a mage trying to perform magic the same
way in avillage in, say, England or Prague is likely going
to find that magical praxis is different away from home.
 LOURS bLGSSiNG (FORLOG ,
again (unless the enemy has somehow changed loca-
Baldur the Brave was the fairest and most beloved tions entirely in the intervening moments).

Baldur on the targets n

ed for each success on the

ose which enemies take

mage might swing his axe age is facing a force of a
kill an enemy on a battlefi y 10 successes, he can still
is not in line of sight, the mage opposing army. A blind and
Galdrar rote to locate the enemy tive Perception rating of 0, a
do nothing more than swing hi
etch his enemys name into his wea
not know the targets nam
description of the enemy

blade fodder). This rote, a

Ages: Vampire rulebook, P. 116) The target cannot

1
one and his Strength goes up by two; Charisma, Manipu-
see the blow coming and hence cannot dodge it*Under lation and Intelligence all drop to one. Furthemore, any
some circumstances(i.e., if the mage is wielding a blunt
hooves him to be able to read people clearly. This rote
grants the rune-singer the ability to discern the answers
to general questions about a stranger just by looking at
him and putting all the pieces together.
System: Each success lets the Valdaerman answer
one of the following questions about the Person hes
looking at: IS he a Vddaerman? Does he ~I-IOWIm a
Valdaerman? IS he a mage? Does he have abilities
beyond those of normal men? IS he friendly? IS he rich?
Is he dangerous?Is he suspicious?Is he from the area? If
the player has other simple, general questions, this
might answer them as well, but it will not give ans
other than yes or no.
FLAWLCSS CRACldNG (FARA 0 )
F ~ being~ the~ pillar
, of wayfaring, can not only
facilitate the mages travels, it can also let the mage
track a target unerringly across a natural landscape.
System: Roll B18t + Fara. Each success allows the
mage to track one target successfully for one day. The
difficultyof the roll increasesby one for every week that has
gone by hetarget passed&is way. with magic
a little god fortune,a mage using hisrote shouldbe able
to follow even a cold mil until it leads him to his quav.
ROSCBiC (bJALOAR .)

Fine kiLLeR (FORLOG

Sometimes its simply prac e frostbite will affect

conflagration, saving

System: This rote uses e target is likely to suffer from

chill that is the equal and a new set of problems and may
snuffed. The fire goes out i his fingers or even dying.
coals are cool to the t r. Each success subtracts
If the targets Dexterity

target must roll his Stamina

he number of successes the
forest fire. If the s magic roll. If he succeeds, his
wice the normal healing time to do

t cut all of the affected

ina] days, the gangrene

world*A Norseman been blown far Off course not simply a spirit that has been pressed into service on
might not know that hes been blown all the Way to the magels behalf (which can be done much more simply
Vinland, but he would know that he is far to the west of with Galdrar 3 ) ; the filauis a spirit tied to the mages
the world he is familiar with, and he might have some with a deep concern for the well-being ofthe mage
idea about getting back. and his family and friends.
System: Roll Blat -+ Fara. One Success reveals A fylgja can look human, but more often than not
whether the mage has been here before. TWO successes appears as an animal -when it can be seen at all. Many
will let him know exactly where he is with regard to his mages may that a mne-singersfylda is a familiar
personal model of the world. Three successes grant him of which isnt quite the case; is much
knowledge of how to get from where he is to where he a creature of spirit than most familiars.
nts to be.
 Afylgju provides the Valdaerman with several ben-
efits. Afylgju is almost always invisible unless the mage
is in trouble. The closer the fylgiu stays to the mage, the
more imminent the threat is. A mage can therefore use
his fylgia to determine in which direction safety (or
challenge) lies. Furthermore, any time the mage is about
to take a blow that would place him at Wounded (or
worse), thefylgju interposes itself between the mage and
the source of danger. How frequently it can do this
depends on the power of the initial spell. Fylgias have
also been known to perform any number ofother helpful
duties for the mage they are bound to: Fylgius have been
known to lead lost mages to safety, guide mages to
success causes the target to enjoy the company of the
beloved-to-be a bit more, while five or more successes
result in fiery, passionate longing and an almost pal-
pable need to be in the arms of the beloved. Duration is
whatever is rolled for a presumably normal (not hurried)
casting, unless the mage makes it ongoing.
MiMiR's (GALDRA* ''' on FORLOG
''' GALbRAR ' ')
Just as Odin conversed with the severed head ofMimir
to gain wisdom, so too can the Valdaerman gain wisdom
and understanding from conversing with a specially pre-
pared severed head. Depending on what magic the mage

Fylgius are entirely mute, but they can ma

System: The Valdaerm that is going to be used for

ure. Oddly, neither form

ing spell (see Dark Ages: M aldrar. Each success allows

The following table
needed to summon a
companion that wil mage has access to
life, multiply the nu e known, including
Successes Result

ugh the mouth were speak-

enchanted with this rote
6-8 Moderately powerfu
ery. Sometimes, however,
ive direct, simple answers.

L O W MAGIC (FORL
is visible to those sitting in its
In the Huuumal, Odin h

rote wisely, to promote sensible matchmaking and har-
monious marriages, troublemakers frequently use it to
SOW woe and dissent. Some say that Odin Provided the
rune lore for the former application while it was Loki
who introduced the latter.
System: The Valdaerman rolls Bldt + Forlog. Each
successfans the degree of emotion to the next level. One
virtually anything that he nose things that are in
plain sight -travelerson a road, a specific lake, a village or
the like-willbe visible almost immediately. Items that are
inside a building but not hidden - a king somewhere in his
castle, a particular book on a table -may be a
to find, but not especially difficult. Items that
larlydistant (a particular mosque in far Amby),
looking for depends on how hidden the item is. poem will begin to resemble what is said
the poem. A skaldic poem praising the
Outside, not hidden 3
Inside, not hidden

(FORLOG ,GA er of town. Roll Bl8t

s selected Attribute
The scorn pole is essential1
insult against someone w
Valdaerman. On a long p
spell (assume one day of

with the horses head

blood into the runes ittle flower Gorm is

poles target will suffer from o

Everything will seem incredibly nights that Magnus works on
the targets Wonders will wo in the stone, his player makes
a familiar, the familiar 1 nd accumulates 10 successes.
remains in place. A sc the center of town. After
by the mage who put it lation as possible, he reads
by anyone literate in th oms delicate constitution

destroyed,hes going to be in a world of hurt.

more prolonged, experience for the target. (However,
this rote cannot be cast as ongoing - it lasts until the
horse head rots, although an entirely new Scorn Pole
rote can be cast o n the same target thereafter.)
(FORLOG .,
SI<oGAHMAcfJUR(BANiSbMeNc)
bJAL0AR .)
Skogumthur literally means forest man, but it refers
to someone who has been sentenced to full outlawry, being
O n a supernatural level, what the scorn pole does is
banished from the village for life. Declaring someone an
ward off all spirits protecting or aiding the target, includ-
outlaw in the cold lands of the north is tantamount to
ing familiars as well as those in fetishes and Wonders.
execution, and it was considered the worst punishment that
The targets difficulty on everything goes up by two,
- :-l.l.- 1--3:-- .._ L..-..--L-- --A - ----.-L . 1 -mse of could be meted out. Those declared outlaws are forced from
the village and others are forbidden to give them food or
 System: Roll B18t + Hjaldar. The pack summoned by
killed,and his killers would neither be considered criminals, the mage contains one wolf for each success. The wolves
nor have to Pay any reparations to the Outlaws kin. The that appear with this rote are slightly larger than average:
rituaofbanis~ent(oroutla~)reinforcesthe~mmuni~s
Attributes: Strength 4,Dexterity 3, Stamina 4,Per-
verdict with magic. The banished outlaw appears shifty, ception 6, wits 5
malevolent and diseased to all who see him and none will
Abilities: Alemess 2, Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Dodge 2,
give him
Or aid*FreqUentlY, the mage Performing the Empathy 1, Stealth 3, Survival (tracking) 5
banishment ritual will cast his spell such that those who
encounter the outlaw will see, in their minds eye, portions
of the crime that the outlaw is being punished for. Health Levels: OK, -1, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
System: Roll Bldt + Forlog. The ritual carvingre Attack: Bite and claw for four dice (lethal)
by this spell takes three hours per roll. For every s rote will not work if the mage is not in the wild, as
at this time, are skittishof human settlements.
evenone successis more than

Valdaerman would do well to

actual banishment, the

t of imprisonment. If the
age, it is now the guard

perform this rote as an o

a small stone or a large
SNOW GLibe (FARA e mage must have one
Even in the Dark possessed by the person he is
tached to the feet hav oesnt have enough successes
e cannot switchwith that individual.
ers of the Valdaermen have ffect, the mage may make one
travel by incorporating rune g the rune hell be swallowing.
for speed on both skis
propel themselves ac

e C A L M ~ R (FARA 0 )

The Viking ancestorsof the Valdaermen were among

the best seafarers of their time, in part due to the ocean-
successes quintuple it. calming assistanceof their rune-wizards. The mage carves
the appropriate rune on a light piece of wood and hangs it
SUMMON Cb PACk (bJALOAR O) from the prow of the ship so that it dangles in the water.
N~~~~ itself is a for the Valdaeman wishing Waves of calm radiate out from the rune-inscribed wood
for alliesin the wild. By etching the runic word for wolf into and waters ring the ship for a radius Of 30 feet+
a piece ofwood and then tracing over the word in his own System: Roll B16t + Fara. Provided the mage gets
blood, the mage summonsapackof large wild wolves to his two or more successes, the Seas grow instantly calm,
side. The wolves dont just appear magically, but if the with only the gentlest rounded waves remaining. Fur-
thermore, the seas stay calm for one hour per success.
Aemilianus slande
lam a sorcerer. So let me ask his most learnedadvo-
cates: What is a sorcerer?/ have readin many books
t h a t magus is t h e same thing in Persian as priest in
our language. What crime is there in being a priest
and in having accurate knowledge, a science, tech-
nique oftraditionalritual,sacredrites andtraditional
law, ifmagic consistso f w h a t Plat0 interprets as the
Cult o f thegods when he talks o f t h e disciplines
taught t o the crown prince in Persia?
-A p u leius, Apology(h is defense f o r being a c c u s e d
of w i t c h c r a f t before a Roman proconsul, 2 n d c e n -
BeLieF AND powen commonly practiced as to seem completely nonsensical
to an outsider (and, indeed, to many insiderswho take the
Some astute theoreticians among the Ahl-i-Batin time to ponder them). After all, the custom of saying,
and the Order of Hermes posit that there is a power God bless you after a sneeze is to keep the individuals
inherent in human belief (though none can agree on the SoulfromescaPing, Yet there is no one who can remember
means by which these beliefsare empowered), an ephem- seeing someones Soul actually fly Out of his mouth when
era1something that can grant inertia to or withhold it from an onlooker failed to say it. Likewise, throwing a pinch of
mystic workings. ne basic of these assumptions are spilled salt over the shoulder to ward off bad luck doesnt
shared in common by all people everywhere (a stone Seem to have any appreciable effect on the way in Which
released from the hand of a Tuscan farmer drops to the a given PersonsdaY actually unfolds. The important Part,
ground as surely as it does from the hand of a Mongol for mages, is that people believe, however subconsciously,
horsemen or an Arab merchant), but many beliefs are that these small actions and taboos have relevance. Many
native to a given area or group of people and no other. People Practice superstitions without even knowing Why
they do so. Nevertheless, their actions feed the belief that
FAiCb A N 0 CULCUR empowers these little axioms, regardless of whether or not
Most superstitions of the Dark Medieval are conven- the causes behind them are fully known.
tions of faith, rather than simple products of culture. For usiNC;beLieF
many people, their faith is their culture and most people Unfortunately, folklore can vary wildly from place to
in Europe are quick to claim (whether they believe it or place in the Dark Medieval world. What is considered
not) that they are Christians before they are Frenchmen, great good luck in an isolated farming village in Denmark
Italians or whatever. Jews, Muslims and pagans likewise may be an omen of darkest misfortune in Baghdad. An
find that many of their cultural traditions are inextricably enterprising mage who wishes to take advantage of pre-
tied up in religious belief. vailing superstitions wherever she happens to be looks for
MONOCbGiSM VRSUS PAGANISM a few simple things.
For most monotheistic faiths (including even dualis- First, many superstitions are intended to bring about
tic Christian traditions such as Catharism), the divine is good luck (Find a penny, pick it up, for example) or to
a bulwark against the evils of the world, both natural and ward off bad luck (the aforementioned pinch of salt over
supernatural. The supplicants superstitions reflect a de- the shoulder). Many people in the Dark Medieval are
sire to be protected through intercession on the part of the positively terrified by the idea of bedevilment by ill
divine against the sinister forces of Creation (such as a fortune (since most people of the age dont carry so many
Christian crossing herself when a black cat cuts across her of the modem illusions about lifes certainties and
path). Pagans (who are, in the Dark Medieval, almost understand just how much of their lives are subject to the
universally polytheists or animists) tend to view the whims of powers they cannot control) and are always
deleterious forces of nature as being extensions of the eager to find ways to increase their odds of being smiled
divine, the physical manifestation of more primal and less upon by fate. Superstitions pertaining to luck are some of
flatly beneficent deities. In this case, superstitions are the most pervasive and deeply ingrained in almost any
used as a means of placation, to ward the individual given culture.
against the ill favor of the divine, or as a shield against the Conversely, bad omens are also powerful symbols in
divine itself (turning ones clothing inside-out, for ex- most collections of cultural superstitions. Breaking a
ample, to disrupt faerie enchantments). Monotheists mirror, seeing a black cat, red sky in morning - all of
wish to be close to the divine (equating proximity to such these and more are examples of very common occurrences
power with safety); conversely, the average pagan figures that, nevertheless, herald misfortune. Some of these
that it is a slightly safer bet to be distanced from the circumstances carry wards and countermeasures,but many
supernatural forces of the world (divine or otherwise), forms of bad luck simply are, and there is nothing the
understanding that all of them are potentially dangerous. afflicted can do when faced with them, save to try to
Monotheists also tend to appeal to the divine directly in weather his impending fate.
their superstitions, whereas pagans are likely to appeal to Also among the most powerful forms of superstitions
the individual power at hand (whether that be a god, a are those intended to either ward off evil (as a conscious,
ghost or something else). It is a matter of semantics, but almost always supernatural, force, as opposed to simple
one that factors prominently into the reasons why people bad luck) or to bring evil to bear on another. Among
react as they do in matters of superstition and, as any Christians, making the Sign of the Cross and imploring
canny magus will tell you, why is certainly no less divine, angelic or saintly intercession are some of the
important than what or how. most common and surest (to the minds of Christians,
~ R R A C ~ O N A L ~ TAND
~ supensricioN anyway) methods of dispelling the powers of the Adver-
It is important to note that most superstitions are so sary, though there are also, naturally, pagan holdovers to
removed from their nebulous origins by the time they are be found everywhere. Thus, the Irish, Christian or no,
know enough never to disrupt a faerie mound -after all,
warding off evil is sometimes no more complicated a
matter than failing to arouse its ire. Actually sending evil
anothers way begins to delve into the realm of what is
commonly considered witchcraft (asuppositionthat some
members of the Old Faith are quick to embrace and others
quicker to deny). Sometimes, this active beseeching of
deleterious forces is conditional (Ifshe is lying, then.. .),
other times not.
The last major variety of superstition is that intended
to bring about a desired outcome. Placing a mans shoes
under the bed so as to keep him coming home (and to
prevent him from wandering) is one form of this type of
superstition. Picking the petals from a flower while re-
peating, He loves me. He loves me not, is another.
These are often elementary sympathetic magics (flowers
being associated with love in the case of the latter ex-
ample, while the former is fairly self-explanatory).
While other sorts of superstitions exist, these are
probably the most widespread of the varieties of such
beliefs and, thus, prove the most useful and universally
exploitable for the mage looking to add a bit of local folk
wisdom (and, consequently, ease) to her spells. An obser-
vant wizard need only sit in a tavern for an hour or so and
watch closely,in many instances, to watch any number of
superstitionspracticed. Provided the settlement is friendly
or the mage in question personable (or versed in the art of
reading minds), then the question of, Why did she do
that?is easy enough to answer. In this manner do clever
and wise magi learn to use the beliefs of Commoners to
their advantage, winning by subtlety and conformity
what might not be had through blatant use of mystic
force.
Of course few people, mage or Commoner, in the
Dark Medieval have the benefit of the perspective re-
quired to take advantage of such beliefs. Indeed, for every
mage who sees the possibilities inherent in this loophole,
there are five or 10 who become even more deeply
ingrained in the prevailing superstitions of the lands of
their birth or upbringing (since they cannow, concretely,
sense the degree to which those superstitions are real).
SUpRS@CiON AND FOUCMAGiC
Some superstitions actually go so far as to tread the
line between simple beliefs and mystic will. Many of these
delve into the domain of folk or hedge magic. While
the eerie old widow on the outskirts of town may not
actually possess any magical powers to speak of, her belief
in her own Evil Eye and the belief attributed to it by
other superstitiousvillagerscan bestow a limited mystical
power upon her. The effects will be subtle and can be
easily written off by the skeptical as happenstance or self-
fulfilling prophecy (a carpenter stared at, for example,
becomes nervous and later accidentally smashes his hand
with his hammer). Likewise, a witch hunter who enters
the village (and expects a flame to bum blue in the
presence of a witch) may in fact find that fire seems to
carry a bluish tinge in the presence of the old woman, if
a majority of the villagersalso subscribedto that supersti-
tion and few or none actively disbelieved it.
No one fully understands why this is, though some
eccentric scholars among the Order of Hermes and the
Ahl-i-Batin have their theories. The most common of
these is that snags in the Tapestry are created through
the intervention of powerful entities (such as angels,
demons, local spirits and gods and the like), which subtly
alter the basic axioms of Creation in very small ways. Just
as a person carries some small bit of her faith with her, so
too might she carry a minute fragment of the spiritual
essence of the being or beings that empower her beliefs.
Thus, the many conflicting energiesfound in a place such
as Constantinoule . .(where remesentatives of countless
nations and systems of belief gather) cause:the Tapestry to
revert to its basic template, while, in more insular or
:i Do u- li a Lt dc u 1,iucaicaI
1,. ^--..-.
*LI-.:-t i i a ciLc;Iyv
-,
--- -...-- --:
L L I U I Cc d y sway the laws
cif Creation somewhat away from center.
A rare few particularly remote Suibtle Ones and
powermi T T P 1 1
nermetic masters sKiiiea 1 .I,
1 . poth the Corona
in
and Primus Pillars have put forth the notion that it is the
beliefs of men which create these divergent possibilities,
rather than the possibilities creating the beliefs of men.
These scholars, however, are often looked upon at best as
crackpots and at worst as lunatics lost to elaborate twi-
lights that exalt the human ego above the power and
eminence of the Creator. Needless to say, no magus who
would be taken seriously by her peers endorses such
foolish and uotentiallv blasDhemous notions.
religious canon and superstitious folklore. For many,
particularly in the lower classes, prospects are bleak and
life difficult, and as aresult, peasants look for meaning and
rxotection in all things. In a constant strut;gle for survival,
they need every advantage. When confrosnted with prob-
n m c tho t;mo n6AnT, m * , 4
lLLLLU, u o y aiiu p a a c AFtL,
L l l F ; llluonoften impact
A.,co m-
cIIL L1lLIL
t >lacesof power
2 3n enjoy easier
1 or, they are just
develops a magical community, wise selection and careful
cultivation of a location for a chantry are vital to the
success of that community. Once the community has
been developed, dates and times can be imgortant consid-
erations for each individual mage who is casting a spell.
might influence a Dark Ages: Mage chronicle.
CWACiNC;A ChANCR9
The chantry often serves as the heart of a mages
existence. It is a place for study, companionship, and
often doubles as living quarters. Mages, as a whole, find it 1
difficult to mesh with Commoner society. It is not un-
common for them to develop a reputation among their
1 1 1 11
f
'iew even the
helpful of mag's With a mixture of caution and awe. As a
result, it is very important for most mages to socialize with
others who share their interests and quite simply aren't
... .1 11 1 A 1 1 11
mit mages do exist,
the majority of mages drift into cabals and other loose-
knit goups, and thosegroupsneed a Place from which to
work*That Place is the chantV* The section
discusses the formation and use of chantries. For a more
explanation of the game mechanics
the development and Protection Of chantries, see The
Right of Princes.
CbANrRp OesiGN
D~~~~~~~ a &antry can take minutes or it can take
hours. The amount of time that the Storyteller or players put
into the chmtry design should reflectthe use ofthe chantry
in the ~~ago~majorityofthestorywi~l take place
in the &antry, it may be usefulto describe the &antry in
great detail. However, if it is only going to serve as a basis for
operation or a safe place to go home at night, then a less
detailed description will probably suffice.At the least, it is
important to know the approximate layout of the chantry
and any security present. the event ofan attack
in on the &antry, thishelps all ofthe players work to efficiently
protect a strucmrethat is very important to their characters.
For chantries that include sancta or crays, layout be-
comes even more important. After all, it would be difficult
to house two 3-point sancta and a 4-point cray in a chantry
the size of a small home. The only optionshere would be to
enlarge the chantry, or to house the sancta and cray offsite.
There are advantages and disadvantages to each option:
housing them onsite allows the characters to benefit from
the privacy and protection afforded by the chantry, but on
the other hand, putting all of them under one roof provides
a single target for those who wish to do harm to the cabal.
Another option might be to house some onsite while others
are offsite.
While some chantries have sleeping quarters for one or
more of the mages in the cabal, this is not always the case.
Somecabalsmay have no choicebut to sleep elsewheregiven
space limitations; however, it is advisable for most chantries
to have a mage in residence for security purposes. At the very
least, the mage can interceptpeople who wander too close to
the sacred pool, fountain, or grove of trees. They are also
available to sound the alarm in the event of an attack.
Although it is advisable to do so, some chantries may not
provide suitable livingconditions,and security is particularly
vital to these chantries.One example is the Hieropompos, a
powerful chantry located in the wilderness outside of
Carcassonne. This hilltop, open-air chantry is held by an
elderly group of Hermetics, all of who were disgusted by the
political maneuvering of many of their fellow mages. As a
result, they formed a cabal and moved to the French wilder-
ness where they intended to focuson their studieswithout the
added distractions of city life and its politics. Unfortunately
for them, they eventually found themselves in the middle of
the Albigensian Crusade.The Hieropompos is one of the few
locations that escaped the bloodshed and violence of the
crusade, largely due to the mages' careful selection of their
site. They chose a steep, rocky hill on which to locate their
chantry, and there is only one pathway to the top. Although
the Hieropompos cabal is highly distrustful of outsiders, they
found themselves the unofficial protectors of a number of
families fleeing from the massacre. The fact that they could
I keen secret the location of their chantry as well as provide
to a smallgroupof villagersonly goesto prove that,
rity is strong enough, permanent residence by a
t absolutely necessary.
rb AppARANC OF A CbANrR9
Each chantry has a different feel and appearance to it chantry. In many Batini chantries, elaborate geometric
depending on the types of mages who work or live there. designs hang on the walls. Usually, they are in the form of
Although the chantry should resemble just an average tapestries, although less wealthy cabals have resorted to
building from the outside, the resident mages often let their painting the designs on the walls themselves. These decora-
interests and imaginations run wild on the inside. (Al- tions not only serve to enhance the appearance of the
though dependingon the type of building and the likelihood chantry, but also can be used as foci for the resident mages.
of visitors, many chantries have a receiving room or set of The artists and weavers who create such designs are highly
rooms designed in a mundane fashion in which to receive respected among the Ahl-i-Batin.
Commoner guests.) Each magical Fellowship has its own The Messianic Voices often make their chantries in
tendencies in terms of design and locationfor a chantry.The or near holy ground such as churches and monasteries.
following are some ideas to get you started. '.
Some have gone so far as
Ahl-i-Batin tend to be highly concerned with order, since this is the only cons
and their chantries often reflect this tendency. Ahl-i-Batin safely access without attrac
chantries are often clean to the point of obsession, with a tion or the Church. Even if
place for everything and everything in its place. Because on or near holy ground, i
many of the Batini use sacred shapes or geometry in their religious bent. Depending I
magics, their chantriesare often laid out in simplegeometric may be reflected as an aus
shapes such as squares, crescents, triangles, and circles. chantry. Others work to ref
These shapes are also represented in the decoration of the and their chantries are elab
 and most will report any suspicious sightings to the
rhiirrh if nnccihle
U I L Y I U I L I* y'vuu'"'~.

The overriding;traitof a Spirit-,Talkerchantry is that

it is quiet. Spirit-Talkers place a high priority on solitude,
A L ,..-...--
.,dllu .
L l l C Y p c ~ Lcu conduct
L..k.,
~ ,.
their magics in the old sacred
places if at all possible. Thus, many of them make their
chantries in old stone circles, underground caves deco-
rated with drawings from ancient peoples, or ancient
burial grounds. Although they often choose to locate
their chantries in natural places, they select these places
based on the solitude they provide and not because they
want to be! out in th.e elements. (This is the major
difference tjetween ch:mtries for the Spirit-Talkers and
members of .the Old Faith.)
As a result of years of persecution and mistrust,
Valdaermen rarely locate their chantries in populated
areas. However, they do not cultivate natural locations,
either. Instead, they often choose remote locations upon
which they build their chantries. A Valdaerman chantry
tends to be very utilitarian in nature, and in fact the
Valdaermen are the most likely of all of the mystical
Fellowships to live in their chantries. They are often
decorated with runes and rune markings, most often
etched or painted into the walls or furnishings. The
additional decorations reflect the type of Valdaermen
residing in the chantrv. since their onlv decorations are
, I

expense in their decoration. These chantries in particular
need to be private and secure, given that the presence of
that level of wealth tends to attract unwanted attention.
Members of the Old Faith often locate their chantries
out in the wilderness. Regardless of the location, most
focus on a particular natural element or phenomenon,
depending on the gods of the mages in question. For
example, members of the Old Faith who worship a rain
god would likely have a chantry that is open to catch the
rain, possibly with an urn or fountain designed to capture
and funnel the rainwater for use in magical undertakings.
O n the contrary, a chantry whose mages worship a god of
fire would likely have a chantry made of non-flammable
materials with a central fire pit. Perhaps they are required
to keep the fire burning at all times, lest their god be
angered and withdraw his support.Quite clearly,chantries
run by mages of the Old Faith tend to show the greatest
variety of all of the different Fellowships.
The Order of Hermes places a high value on learning
and scholarship, and their chantries often reflect that
outlook. Hermetic chantries closely resemble the tradi-
tional wizard's laboratory, full of arcane objects and
ancient tomes full of forgotten lore. Their libraries and
other mystical objects are usually prominently displayed
and easy to reach, since the Hermetics so often use them,
and they certainly don't mind impressing their guests
with their knowledge and possessions. However, these
objects tend to be displayed in the private areas of the
chantry, and privacy is highly prized given that the
:ommoner knows the tools of the wizard's trade
usuallyihe tools of their craft. Therefore, a cabal made up
of wise women might display garlands of drying herbs
whereas a witch warrior might display his shield and
spears upon the wall in a place of honor.
Given that most of the Fellowships mistrust or ac-
tively work at odds with one another, mixed Fellowship
cabals are rare. However, in a crisis, members of different
Fellowships may find themselves forced to work together
to defeat a common enemy, and oftentimes they find that
working together is better than perishing alone. The
result is a cabal made up of many different Fellowships,
and the resulting chantry for such a group i s often a
conglomeration of different styles. Remember that the
goal of the chantry is that it is a place for the cabal to
study, discuss, and conduct magic in a safe and private
environment. Although the chantry does not have to be
attuned to the mage's aura in the same way that a sanctum
does, it should not work at odds with the mage's philoso-
phy. After all, it would be difficult to call upon a pagan
earth god in a room full of crosses and other Christian
paraphernalia. Even if the magic is successful,surely the
god in question won't look too favorably on his disciple's
choice of surroundings.
As a result, chantries with a mix of Fellowships tend
to be more generic in appearance. Common areas are free
of overtly religious or Fellowship-oriented material (un-
less the Fellowships in question work well together, such
as the Spirit-Talkers and the Old Faith). For mixed
Fellowship cabals, space is more of an issue than for
single-Fellowshipcabals, given that each member should
ideally have a place where they can store and use their
personal magical paraphernalia without disturbing the
rest of the cabal, who may not agree with their personal
method of approaching magic. Certainly, additionalspace
in these chantries helps to keep the peace, so it is in the
players best interest to spend the points for it.
SANCCA AND CRAYS
The addition of a sanctum or a cray into a chantry
presents a unique design challenge. The two are at oppo-
site ends of the spectrum: the sanctum is attuned to one
mages aura in particular, and it therefore reflects her
personality and belief system. The cray, however, is a well
of unformed energy, and therefore it has no mark or
signature that identifies it with one Fellowship or an-
other. Because the two are so widely different, a different
design approach is appropriate for each.
In terms of the sanctum, a player should have the
opportunity to design and decorate the area. Not only
should it reflect the general philosophy of the mages
Fellowship, but it should also reflect the personal ap-
proach that the mage in question takes to her magics. A
Messianic who specializes in the healing magics of Repha-
El would have a much different sanctum than one who
specializes in the blessings of the Angel of War, Mikha-El.
The sanctum also offers the player the opportunity to
examine how foci fit into her characters life. A Spirit-
Talker who uses crystals to contact the spirits of the Wise
Ones might hang various crystals around the room for
protection. By taking the time to design a sanctum, a
player gains additional insight into the personality and
magical philosophy of her character.
The Storyteller, however, should design the cray.
Remember that crays are naturally occurring fonts of
mystical energy, and their location and appearance are
not always ideal. How will the players react when the
powerful cray they have discovered is located in the
stream directly outside the blacksmithsforge?Or in the
middle of a bog? Or right in the town square? In these
cases, it may be impossible to build a chantry around the
cray, and that presents the characters with a unique set of
problems to deal with.
kpiNG Cb pAC ent religious teachings (see The Po&r of Three sidebar).
Once the chantry has been designed, the characters
have a new problem. Although their magical artifacts
might be securely locked away from prying eyes, it is still
important for them to make friends among the surround-
ing populace and avoid persecution by the Church or
other institutions. The fact is that a mages aura often
instantly makes him the subject of speculation and mis-
trust, so it is important for mages new to a community to
immediately contradict that reputation as much as pos-
sible. Of course, the quickest way to make friends is to do
a service for one of the members of the community. This
could be anything from helping heal a sick child to
assisting at a birth to protecting a villager from bandits.
The goal is to win the trust of at least one person who can
warn the cabal of threats or village sentiments. Of course,
if the mage resorts to blatant magic to accomplish this
feat, the Commoner in question will probably still fear the
characters, but it is certainly better to be viewed as a good
witch than a bad one.
Popular sentiment goes a long way towards determin-
ing whether or not the chantry will face an investigation
or persecution by the Church. Villagers who are positive
about the chantry and its residents because of past ser-
vices performed are much more likely to protect the cabal,
or at least will not eagerly offer up every last scrap of
information they know to the first passing inquisitor.
Alternately, by angering the villagers with a spell gone
wrong, the cabal almost insures that they will soon
receive a visit from the Inquisition. Their only options at
that moment are to run (leaving behind the chantry and
cray, if such exists),play innocent, distract the inquisitors
with news of a bigger and better adversary, or bring the
fight to the Inquisition before it comes to the chantry. All
of the above choices have their benefits and drawbacks,
and it will be up to the players to decide what to do.
The influence of numerology is widespread in the
Dark Medieval. Numbers form a cornerstone of many
religious practices, superstitions, and sciences such as
astrology. Belief in the power of numbers is of such
strength that few major decisions are made without con-
i baby
date,
1 con-
sultation ot the babys astrological charts. 1he resulting
judgments often influence the childs entire life, such as
in the fabled tales of the seventh son of the seventh son,
which is said to be a mark of great things and the luck of
the faerie folk. Other children who are born uncler an
unlucky sign might find themselves ostracized or even
outright abandoned by fearful parents.
These beliefs vary slightly depending on localle and
reiigiuus .
--12-: .-t-:--:--
UpuriiigiIig, L..& &L--- __. -:-.:1--:-:
uut uiere are niariy sirniiarities be-
tween differine n beliefs. The number three, for example, is
considered to be a number of great power in many differ-
Other numerological practices, such as astrology and the
._ - C l - _ _ --1--1--. . . ..1. 1 - 1
use UI lunar caieriuars,are wiuespreau and not tied to any
particular religion or location. Particular dates and times
of day became influential for religious reasons or because
of their numerological
~~ ~~~~~~~ ~ meanine.
o 0
~ These
- - - - times
- -~ ~
--- ofpower
~ ~are ~ ~ . .
of particular interest to mages given their (rlirect influence
on shallowings and other magical phenomena. The fol-
lowing are some examples of numerological beliefs and
?I,.,- --?I
- A:--.. .C
ui puwer LLa& _ _1._.._
- 1
I i d L can nave uirect impact on
UdLC3 diiu ~ i i i i r s
mages and their abilities. These beliefs are organized into
systems for ease of use; however, it is important to remen
ber that they are not limited to the group mentioned. FI
example, pagans and druids often used lunar calendai
However, uneducated peasants often had superstitioi
regarding the phases of the moon. These may be related most sacred clocks, Stonehenge, contained a special Heel
to the pagan beliefs (perhaps they were introduced to the stone that marked the rising of the sun on MidsummersDay,
village by a passing druid), but they might have some one of the most sacred dates on their calendar. These clocks
notable differencesdue to their independent evolution. are particularly useful to mags of the Old Faith, who use
SACRCb CiMS OF rb PAGANS them to time their magics to gain the greatest effects. (See
Pagans based much of their faith on the natural world,
The Wheel of the Year, pp. 64-66, for more details on sacred
times for the Old Faith Fellowship.)
so it is no surprise that their celebrations center around
natural phenomenon like the phases of the moon, times of The Seasons
the day, and passing of the seasons. The movements of the Most pagan faiths celebrate the passing of the sea-
sun and moon held particular interest, and they believed sons, and the solsticesand equinoxes are often the subject
that each celestial body had its own energy that influenced of much celebration. Although the customs for each date
the world and therefore the magics worked within it. They differ greatly depending on the faith in question, nearly
constructedelaborateclocks,usingstoneor carefullyplanted all pagan groups attribute the same meaning to the
trees to mark the rising and setting of the sun. One of the seasons. For mages, the seasons themselves have little
direct effect on magic. Instead, their influence is strongly
felt in the day-to-day life and intent of the mages. Pagan
mages (who are most likely to be members of the Old
Faith, Spirit-Talkers, or Valdaermen) believe that, be-
cause the energiesofwinter are more dormant and internal,
winter is clearly meant to be a time for reflection. Simi-
larly, spring, summer, and autumn also have their own
energies, and in order to be in tune with the natural world,
a mage must work in conjunction with them. In the
winter, a mage could still perform active, external feats of
magic, but many believe that working in constant oppo-
sition to the natural forces can result in problems for the
mage in question.
The first day of each season is a time of great power
and possibility. These days show a great increase in
energy, and mages find it easier to perform magics that are
suited to the new season. The following list provides the
approximate date for each seasonal change as well as the
types of magic that are suited to these dates. Mages who
cast these types of magic do so at a -3 difficulty, whereas
all other magical attempts are at a +3 difficulty. Storytell-
ers may wish to make the effects for members of the Old
Faith even more severe, and completely prohibit the use
of the other seasonal Pillars on these dates.
Spring Equinox (March 2 1) -Spring is a time of
fertility, and mages find it easier to work with growing
things on this date. All magics that work to create or
nurture are easier to conduct, and destructive magics are
more difficult to work.
Summer Solstice (June 2 1) -Summer is associ-
ated with energy and strength; it is a socialtime and a time
for action. Mages find it easier to work aggressive and
overt magics, and passive,subtle magics are more difficult
on the Summer Solstice.
AutumnEquinox (September 21) -The harvest
comes in the autumn, and the Autumn Equinox is a
celebration of the sustenance it brings. This date is ideal
for magics of the earth and earthly possessions. Any
magics not dealing with these subjects are more difficult.
Winter Solstice (December 2 1) -Winter is often
associatedwith solitude, introspection, and death. Mages
find it easier to work with more introspective and spiritual
magics, but it is more difficult to directly affect the
physical world on the Winter Solstice.
The Phases of the Moon
Most pagan groups believe that each phase of the
moon has its own energy. The changing of the moon is
not celebrated as much or as extensively as the changing
of the seasons. However, the new and full moons in
particular are often observed and acknowledged, and they
are the source of many superstitions among peasants and
the uneducated. Many fear the new moon because of its
association with darkness, but the full moon is no better.
The full moon is believed to be a time when werewolves
and other supernatural creatures walk the lands. As a
result, Commoners are often very cautious during the full
moon, and most hide behind locked doors until the shape
of the moon changes once more.
Although the moon only affects magic that is per-
formed during the nighttime hours, its influences are
The Days of the Week
Among Christians, Sunday is considered the most
sacred day of the week, as the day that Jesus was circum-
cised, was given His name and also the day that He rose
from the grave. O n Sundays, Christians gather to cel-
ebrate the Eucharist. Because Sunday is traditionally held
to be a day of prayer and reflection, the Messianic Voices
find their magic (or theurgy, as they prefer to call it) easier
to conduct. Sundays are designated for Gods work, and as
long as they approach their tasks with a pure heart and
good intentions, the Messianic Voices perform their
or ongoing spells do not receive the bonus, and some
Storytellers may wish to penalize these magics.
Truly devout members of the Christian faith attend
-L...A. _.. :- -_^_.^I --.^-A,.-- -f &L-...--1.
---^-^ ~

LIlUIL.11 U l C I l Y d Y C 111 U l d V C l C V C l V UdY U1 LllC WCCK. C11SU1*

much more direct and constant than the passing of the ing that Godls;rulyg part of their 1 es. Each day has its
seasons. The moon is a source of energy that those who own meaning and symbolism; for exarnple, Thursday was
*Le c..----
A.7,.C&L,. 1L ~ S L3uuvcl. --A &t-- .--- . .
Ll1clefulc _ *.^,t- A---L--
honor her in their rituals can tap. Mages who make an Lllc udy ul LIlc
^^C

offering to the Moon as a part of their casting can call
upon her for energy. The amount gained depends on the
offeringgiven, but is usually between one and three points
of Quintessence. An offering of prayers traced in ones
own blood might provide one point, while the ritual
slaughtering of a calf might provide three points, and the
sacrificeof a person might provide even more (Storytellers
discretion). Although blood offerings are the most com-
mon, precious stones or sacred objects are also commonly
used. The Quintessence gained from this offeringmust be
used immediately, and any unused Quintessence will fade
at the rate of one point per every five minutes.
Quintessence from the moon only works for magic
that is compatible with the current phase, regardless of
the offering. The following list describeseach phase of the Christians, and they do not receive any special benefits
moon and the appropriate types .- of magic needed to gain
the moons Quintessencie.
New moon -M;agics that bring new beginning!S
and blessings.
Waxing moon -Health and growth magics.
.:..,. F,u1 g:Ir;aLc __...,.-
Full moon - A tllllr; puwr;I. A
A ll ll .-,llldg;L~s
I I
dllU I L 15 LIK UdLy iur
tlie faithful to work toward emulating the
e ver, the observation of these traditions is
aind does not have any influence on C
other devoutly Christian mages who pray at a church or
altar every day for a full week have their Aura modifier
increased by one. This effect lasts until the mage misses a
day of prayer.
bOL7 bA9S A N 0 hOLibAyS
Christian holy days center around the birth and
rebirth of Jesus Christ. Holidays such as Christmas, Ash
Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter all commemorate
specific occurrences in the life of Jesus. All Messianic
Voices are expected to celebrate these holidays, as are all
for doing so. However, failure to celebrate these holy days
-
appropriately can lead to a temporary loss of magical
ability. Depending on the level of transgression, this
could be an inability to use a particular Pillar or a com-
plete lack of magical power. This is the price that the
MessianicVoicespayforneglecting theirgod.The method
.
:
e

gain the extra point.
Waning moon - Banishing magics.
bOL7 bA9S OF TbC ChRiSriANS
The Christian faith has many holy days, and in fact,
Christianitys adoptiorI of the Julian calendar had wide
spread influence. Befor,e the Julian calendarsacceptanct
for regaining magics is fairly simple: The mage must atone
for the sin of neglect. Some examples of appropriate tasks
for atonement are fasting, making a pilgrimage, or taking
a temporary vow of silence.
.-
Some Christian holy days, such as Christmas (the
25 of December), Good Friday (the Friday before Eas-
ter), and Easter (the Sunday after the first full moon of
-9

most people used local, unstandardized calendars or de

,.. :c
spring) are celebrated throughout the Christian world.
pended solely on observations ot the sun and moon. However, there are some other holidays that may or may
However, the Roman Catholic Church used the Julian not be observed, depending on the locale. These include
calendar for official purposes, and its use spread through Advent (the four Sundayspreceding Christmas), Epiphany
the realm in the hands of the priests. It is quite possible (January 6th),and Maundy Thursday (the Thursday bc
that another standardlized calendar would have bc:en fore Easter).
adopted if not for the i nfluence of the Church.
experience, also think of other ways to accomplish these spells pick up on the presence of supernatural beings, but
ends. If that's the case, great. Go with what works. do not reveal any more specific information (such as
MPSCiC pel7cepCioN type), though clever mages can sometimes, using various
clues, put such information together for themselves after
Enlightened souls often have cause to bear witness to
knowing of such a being in the area.
phenomena imperceptible to less elevated minds. The
powers of the Pillars of magic enable them to see, hear and Ahl-i-Batin use Al-Lay12 to discern the presence of
orhenvisedetect occurrences, places and, sometimes, supernatural creatures in their immediate vicinity. By
creatures that are saturated with mystic energies. adding Al-Hajj 2 to the casting, the Subtle One is capable
of detecting such creatures at great distances. With Al-
Detect the presence Of ma$c* use A1-Layl Layl 4,a Batini can discem a creature's
1 to detect the presence of magic that has
rough "type IC: undead, shapeshifter, etc.
recently been worked or is currently
being worked. Al-Anbiya 2 allows For Messianic Voices, the light
a Subtle One to discern the of Gavri-Eldisperses darkness
telltale echoes of a spell and, with a Pillar spell of
worked even ages ago 2, reveals the presence
(though it often does of"unnatural" creatures.
not allow the Batini By adding Uri-El 1 to the
to learn what kind casting, the Voice may
detect corporeal walking
dead for what they are.
Messianic
Old Faith use differ-
ent Seasons t o
detect different

current sources Autumn 1 detects

wizards and mages of
various sorts (Fel-

ner l allows for

the Old Faith use
Autumn 1 to sense
magics currently being
cast, as well as those re-
cently transpired, and call
uponasimpleAutumn3 spell
to learn of ancient magics.
For Hermeticwizards,forwhom
the pursuit of magic is dearer than life
itself, Primus 1allows detection of current,
recent or ancient magic with equal proficiency.
wizardsdiscernthe
For the Spirit-Talkers, Wise One 1 allows for the telling nuances that
PercePtion of new Spells, while Wise o n e 2 'Pea' Ofolder give away supernaturalbeings with a simple Primus 2 spell.
sorceries.
Spirit-Talkersbeseech the sagacity of the Wise One (and
Valdaermen, whose Galdrar Rune is tied to the call upon hesecond level ofthat pillat)to sense
closely related forces of magic and secrets, use that Pillar kings. ~ ~ ~ dto thedcasting,
~ ~ may ~ learn
~ ~ h ~ ~
at 1 to detect magics of whatever newness or antiquity. exact~yw~tagivencreatureis(even~~e~ve~atim,givenher
Detect the presence of supernatural creatures. no he,.)
Sometimes, it is helpful for a mage to be able to learn The Valdaermen use (
when other denizens of the supernature are about (vam- man beings are and ak
pires, werewolves, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, these
 through the use of Wise One 3 in order to communicate
with foreigners.
Magic is about more than dusty tomes and lightning Galdrar 3 enables the Valdaermen to know the
bolts slungupon the battlefield. The enterprising witch or tongues of outsiders and to convey concepts in languages
wizard is certainly most capable of using subtle (or not-so- not their own.
subtle,as the situation warrants)spells to twist the thoughts Compel friendship Or Ahl-i-Batin use A1-
and opinions of others, whether in the high Courtsof Paris Fatihah 4 to cause others, even new acquaintances, to
or the back alleys of Constantinople. In this manner have regard them as esteemed and companions*
Messianic Voices implore the aid of Mikha-El3 to
garner respect, while beseeching the favor of Repha-El 3
Convince another of something. Provided that what to fabricate bonds of friendship*
is being said is not so blatant a falsehood that the village Practitioners of the Old Faith use Spring 3 to cause
idiot would scarce believe it (The sky is golden yellow, others to regard them as friends and allies.
for example), most Batini with a single dot in the Al-Lay1 Mages of the Order of Hermes use Corona 2 to impress
can scare up enough Subterfuge to convince most listen- notions of friendship or respect in another (notions that
ers. If the Subtle One wants to foist an obvious lie upon must be enforced through the wizards actions in order to
another, however, an Al-Lay14 simple spell will enable take root) or Corona 3 to simply batter down a subjects
him to give someone a firm conviction in even the most resistance and forge artificial bonds of this nature.
indelicate of deceptions. Spirit-Talkers with Trickster 2 or 3 can often coax
A Messianic Voice with Mikha-El4 can convince the spirits into giving them the guile necessary to quickly
almost anyone of almost anything and, with Mikha-El5, gain the trust of others.
can sway others to believe in the few things that she could Valdaermen become valued compatriots to others
not get away with at the previous level. through the use of Forlog at either 2 (requiring mundane
By using Autumn 4,a witch of the Old Faith can reinforcement) or 3 (compelling allegiance).
convince another of a wise course of action, while Sum- bAQOC
mer 4 will sell him on a more brash or foolish one.
There are times when conflict cannot be avoided
Hermetic use Corona to impress simple Pre* (just as there are times when even the most enlightened
CePts ands~allfalsehoodsu P n o t h e ~while
, Corona Can soul has need of or desire for bloodletting). Magic is one
be to temporarilyconvince another Of even an idea of the surest advantages on any battlefield, for it can be a
completely antithetical to her ownbeliefs, and Corona 4 can weapon, chimrgeon, soldier or even general, if the
make such changes long lasting or even permanent. need and the power of the mage in question are great.
BYusing Trickster 2, many Spirit-Talkers can speak Inflictham directly with magic. Fellowship
with such guile as to be able to talkKing Solomon himself but the Ahl-i-Batin has been or less covered in this
into a fools bargain (or so they claim), while increasing regard. Unfortunately, the Subtle Ones do not use their
levels of the Pillar make it possible to convince others of magic in such a crude and unimaginative fashion.
increasinglygrandiosefabrications or distastefulpremises
ne
powers of these Arab are not well
more completely and for longer periods of time. suited to gesturing at a foe and blasting his frame with the
Vddaermen use Forlog 3 to convince others ofrea- raw power of magic. In general, should a Batini need to
sonable things and Forlog 4 when dealing with less inflict h a m upon another, he uses his magic to augment
reasonable subjects. more mundane capabilities to the point that he can kill
Speak anothers language or otherwise communicate with them silently and at great distance, preferably with-
verbally. Ahl-i-Batin use a simple Al-Fatihah 2 spell to speak out ever lifting a finger where anyone can bear witness to
with thme with whom they share no common language. it. For an example of how a Subtle One may do something
Just as Gavri-El3 gives a Messianic Voice the power like this, you can refer to page 17 of Dark Ages: Mage.
to commune directly with the mind of another, it can also Such an attack uses a simple A1-Hajj 3 spell and inflicts
grant the ability to speak words that are understood in normal weapon damage (ignoring armor, but subject to
another tongue, even one with which the Voice himself the normal casting distance restrictions, based uponnum-
ber of successes), plus one Health Level of damage per
Members of the Old Faith use an Autumn 3, Spring success scored in the casting. With A1-Hajj 4, a Batini
1rote to discern the bonds of the spoken word and to send may momentarily reflect a weapons edge to OCCUPY
their own intent traveling upon those strands. multiple locations in space, no more than a few inches
Hemetic mapi use a Corona 3 sDell to Overcome the apart, at once (for an example of this, see the section on
fumblings of mundane languages. Counterrnagic, below). Successes scored in casting such a
spell automatically subtract successes, on a one-for-one
basis, rolled to parry or dodge an attack and add dice (one Win an animals friendship. Ahl-i-Batin may use a
per success) to the Batinis Melee Ability and damage simple Al-Fatihah 3 spell to win the trust and allegiance
dice pools for the duration of a single strike. of a normal beast and may, with Al-Fatihah 4, win over
Heal wounds. Again, the Ahl-i-Batin are seemingly even a normal creature trained to be hostile.
alone, this time in their apparent inabilityto mend hurts. In With Mikha-El 3, a Messianic Voice may assert
truth, the Subtle Ones seem a bit hamstrung in this regard, authority over a beast or, with Repha-El 3, have its
but, as with all things regarding the AhLi-Batin, what is loyalty. With both, the Voice can make of it an obedient,
readily perceived is only the barest fraction of what is loving pet.
possible. For a Batini, the art of healing is a circuitous one. A priest of the Old Faith IICPC Sntinn 2 tn hefrienA
First, the mage uses A1-Hajj 3 to latch onto all the disparate even the most savage natural 1
pieces of an injury (every drop of spattered blood, shred of The Order of Hermes uses Corona 2 to wip n l ~ a~ t
flesh and chip of bone), and then, W i t h AlJ-aYl 4, she domesticated or docile animal anJ Corona 4 to
convinces these scattered fragments that they are all in a hostileor enraged h1111114L.
exactly the proper place, causingthe injuryto knit. The Ahl-
i-Batin may heal any source of bashing or lethal damage,
Chieftain 3 enabl-0
between herselfand
-
whether to herself or to another, in this fashion and, by
Valdaermen use 1
increasing the necessaryAl-Lay1Pillar rating to 5, may do so
likely to be encount
for sources of aggravated damage (deceivingthe body into
while Forlog 3 allows
believing that annihilated tissues still exist and are where
they should be). Survive in harsh natural conditions. Other than an
excellent scoTe in Sui
Soak aggravated damage. Unless otherwise noted in
aptitudes do have me
the individual descriptions, all of the spells below soak
ditions in the wilds o
aggravated damage with successes, creating a soak pool
for a scene on a one-for-one basis, at the cost of a point of An Ahl-i-Batin
Quintessence. (Multiple castings and/or points of Quin- adopt the mannerisms and habits Of a
tessence are not cumulative.) forester or nomad, even if he himself does not normally
possess such knowled
Ahl-i-Batin soak aggravated damage using successes
comprehend why he \.
on a simple A1-Hajj 4 spell. The mage literally disperses
actions would serve t
the impact from the source of harm into surrounding
out of the well of uni.
space. (A Batini using AI-Hajj at 3 can use a similar spell
a bank of wisdom to call upon.)
to soak bashing or lethal damage.)
By using Mikha- A
Messianic Voices soak aggravated damage by using a
unsubtlyber
Gavri-El 3, Repha-El 3 spell that effectively closes a
behest, localLyl l l L c l g d
wound instantaneously as it is inflicted and removes any
Repha-El 4, he can fu
sensation of physical trauma.
a blizzard or torrential
Witches and druids of the Old Faith use Autumn 4 to to lie down before h
bolster their patterns against such potent sources of harm, might live. Gavri-El
weathering the assault directly by fortifyingflesh and bone. warm in even the cvlucDL w,
Hermetic wizards often enchant garments or armor brings Sweet water to quench iL1, u I I c ~ L
to protect against aggravated damage with Primus 2 Spring 3 guards a witch A A- r
(using the items normal soak pool and without the cost strong gales and prel 1

of apoint ofQuintessence). If caught without this protec- terrible conditions,

tion, the magus may use Anima 3, Primus 3 to soak such frost anddeathlyheat
damage, subject to the normal rules outlined above. on the energies of
As stated in the Dark Ages: Mage rulebook, Spirit- mortal sustenance.
Talkers using Warrior 3 can shrug off aggravated damage. A wizard of the vI..,b.l
v1

Valdaermen use Hjaldar 4 to soak sources of aggra- pillar 4 simplyshieij hPthn

vated damage, imbuing their bodies with the resiliency of
steel and stone.
Ash, OAk, WOLF A N 0 OWL
Certain Fellowships thrive upon constant interac-
tion with nature and mages of any stripe might be called
upon to trek overland or to hide themselves away for a
time in the trackless expanses of Dark Medieval forestsor
mountains.
of the natural world a .. . ..
have dominion over animals, she uses Corona 4 to draw
them to her and to compel them to placidly accept death.
A Spirit-Talker,knowledgeable in the many secrets of
the natural world, uses Wise One 2 to summon up the
understanding necessary to thrive in the most hostile
natural environments not completely inimical to humanil
 With Fara 5, a Valdaerman is so favored by the road truck with the Fair Folk is, then she would use Gavri-El5
that he is always at home when out in the elements. One at a crossroads, a faerie mound or other such means of
who knows Forlog 3, however, can attempt to luck her entrance into that other world.
way through an extended journey into the wild places of As specifiedin the section on their magic in the Dark
the world (though often with less success). Age: Mage book, druids, priests and witches of the Old
Weather magic. Some means of calling fogs, storms Faith use Spring 4 to enter Arcadia.
and winds are given in the section on Travel Magic (p. The Order of Hermes libraries contain references to
153) in Chapter Five: Storytelling. a handful of spells designed to beseech the Fair Folk
rbe iNvisibLe WORLD directly, all of them either using Corona 4, Primus 4 to
Mages are often called upon to have dealings with form a Quintessential shell (using the mages own normal
the denizens of the unseen worlds and must sometimes Attributes) capable of traversing the barriers that sever
even visit the realms those creatures call home. Magi of Arcadia from the world of men, or Primus 5 at a place of
the Order of Hermes seek out the beings of the Astral crossing to force the gateways wide.
Reaches, while Spirit-Talkers enter into the uncharted Spirit-Talkers, depending upon their individual Pro-
Spirit Wilds without fear, and the Valdaermen sing to the clivities, use Trickster 5 or Wise One 5 to either beguile
forlorn spirits of the lands of the dead. Rare indeed is the their Way into Arcadia Or seek admission by dint of
wizard who never needs to seek out the peoples or places ancient pacts and the esteem Of the Fair
beyond the Gauntlet. Valdaermen use Galdrar 5 to tread the unknown
Traffic with spirits. The Ahl-i-Batin and the Order roads to Arcadia or Fara 4 at a Place of crossing.
of Hermes, unlike every other Fellowship,would seem to NGCROMANCY
possess no ready ways to interact with the denizens of the Part of the lure of wizardry, deny it though many
Realms Invisible and, indeed, have few ready resources on mages may, is the power Over death itself. M~~~ wise
hand for dealings with the Middle and Dark Umbrae, but spirits feel compelled to seek out answers to the riddle of
those are not the Urnbrood that concern these magi. mortality and the secrets that come after the final breath.
Instead, Hermetics use Corona 4,Primus 2 to compel an Ghosts know things lost to the world of the living, and the
astral being (Such as an angel) to manifest as a Partially walking dead are often far more loyal and steadfast ser-
physicalconstruct (one that might be acteduponby other vants (if usually less capable) than the living. Further, for
magics, at the very least) and mightiest Subtle Ones call thosemages whoshunthe notion of the inevitabilityof
to the djinn (powerfulastral elementah) with Al-Fatihah death, there may well be something to be learned of
2, Al-Hajj 4,compelling or inviting those already mani- immortality in the study of endings.
fest in the physical world to appear before them (see The Summon a ghost. Ahl-i-Batin do not the
Cla~iclesof S U ~ Y ~ TSolomonic
I: Magic, pp. 22-24). spirits of the dead. It is blasphemous and their magic,
Enter the Umbra. Only the Order of Hermes seems to therefore,does not allow for it.
lack mC%UX of Umbrae other than the AfXral Messianic Voices use Uri-El 4 to summon a willing
Reaches, but they (against the better judgment of the shade and, by adding Mikha-El2 to the casting, are capable
Fellowshipas a whole, which essentiallysees little ofvalue in o~summoninga ghostagainst its will (those whowish to do
other Yers Of the spirits Worlds) Penetrate the Gauntlet so, however, are advised to note the bit on pg. 113 ofD&
using Primus 4 to rudely and blatantly rend it asunder for an Ages: M~~~about ccpioussouls~> and u ~ ~ ~ ~
instant, allowing transit through before the threads of the
Members of the Old Faith simply use Winter to
Tapestry rush to mend the tear. At this point, the Hermetic
compel the dead to appear.
mage is within the Penumbra and may, through the normal
means, seek out other layers of the Umbrae by her wits and Hermetic wizards are virtually without recourse in
her knowledge of the Spheres of Creation. this matter (remember Bonisagus prohibitions against
acts that defy Gods will), though Primus 5 will allow a
Enter Arcadia*The domain Of the Fair is not
magus to wrench a restless soul from whence it dwells to
properly a level of the Umbra, but nor is it specificallya
come before him. This process, however, is messy and
place within the physical plane. It is, instead, a spiritual
unpleasant and almost always results in the immediate
its Own, subject to different laws and peopled by
enmity of the spirit. (For thosekeeping track, &is is also
folk who are (usually) flesh and blood, like ordinary men,
another way for a Hermetic mage to summon, say, a
but truly inhuman in their shapes and their desires.
demon. And, yes, it is just as painful an experience for
In the unlikely event that a Subtle One needed to fallen angels as it is for the dead.)
tread the paths Of Arcadia, he use A1-Hajj to Spirit-Talkers can call a ghost (or, indeed, any spirit
stride into that realm or Al-Lay15 at a known point of
known) with Wise One and, with Wise One 4,can give
crossing to circumvent the wards and barriers locking
physical shape to such a shade.
mortal men out.
Valdaermen use Fara 2, Galdrar 4 to demand audi-
Shnllld a Messianic Voice be able to swallow her
ence with the spirits of the dead.
put aside her thoughts of how blasphemous
 Animate a corpse. Just as the Subtle Ones do not Spirit-Talkers mav command the dead to walk with
compel the dead to manifest before them, they do not ical to that of the
defile the bodies of the slain with necromancy.
Messianic Voices may use Gavri-El 3, Uri-El 4 to
D ~~

if they-choose to without the need for Warr

granting them access to any Charms that the sp
-,.-- 11.. __^^^^ --.t.:l,. -l--.-:--11-. ---:f----J\

rote to create animated corpses for battle. Othe

to the walking dead. are listed for the Svulaholdr on p. 94.
TheOrderofHermeshasafewoptionsinthisregard. n n m - AFI\TA
- -
1 T-w-- HV I I = H A
0 - 1

Simple walking dead (of the variety described above and

costing rhe same in both successes and Quintessence) It may be that you feel a particular Fellowship:
requires Anima 5, Primus 3. Conversely, the process may options for magic are somewhat limited, or perhapi
, .

different than what is presented

ing undead pattern with a consciousness (the
capacity for reason and intellec-
tion) and give it an inviolable
programming. Natu-
rally, this latter
 Cb MeCbANiCS
Now that youve put behind you any doubts that
this Pillar is a legitimate idea, you need to actually
mechanically construct it, assigning distinct capabili-
ties to each level of the Pillar. The system for doing so
is, in essence, simple, but complexities can and do
creep in. Magic, after all, is always at least a little
difficult to quantify. The important thing to keep in
mind is that the outline below is just that, an outline.
This is not a comprehensive Be-All, End-All, Infal-
lible Guide to the Rules of Magic. You will find, in
creating Pillars of your own, that some effects just dont
fit gracefully into this curve exactly as it is presented.
In that case, dont attempt to mash the square peg into
the round hole, but instead be willing to be flexible. Is
a certain Basic Alteration too weak or limited in scope
to warrant fitting under the third level of a Pillar?
Make it a second level spell. No muss, no fuss, no Pillar
Police kicking in your door.
The key to all of this is balance. In creating a Pillar
for your use, try to give an edge in one or two places,
playing to the known strengths of the Fellowship in
that regard, put most spells of the nature expressed by
the Pillar on par with other Fellowships (in terms of
both level of power and potency of effect) and then put
the Fellowship behind the curve in one or two ways
(whether by giving a lesser power at a higher level or
else cutting a given capability, even a potentially very
useful one, completely out of the equation). Generally
speaking, a new Pillar should never be more powerful
than the Pillars presented in Dark Ages: Mage, and it
would not be out-of-keeping for a new Pillar within an
extant Fellowship to actually be a little weaker (con-
sidering that the magical strengths of the Fellowships
have been pretty fully summarized there). This is,
however, your game, and if you and your players are
comfortable with the notion of world-rending powers
at Pillar level 3 , then who are we to tell you otherwise?
That said, below is the rough guideline that was used in
the creation of the Pillars of the mystic Fellowships of
the Dark Medieval.
LVL ON: pRCpCiON A N b
LMNCAR9 MANiPULACiON
school of mys At this level of power, the Pillar allows for the
to encompass perception of the phenomena to which it is attached.
that any Fellc It may also allow for some basic warding against as-
saults directed along those lines or might enable the
mage to call upon a marginally superhuman identity
with that concept (manipulation) to boost a single
Abilitys dice pool by one per success on a simple spell.
if a new Pillar that is v LVL CWO:hASiC MANiPULACiON A N b
:hat are not currently s
LMNCARp ALCeRACiON
A t this level, the Pillar may grant the ability to
sculpt its phenomena, either precisely and on a fine
scale, or crudely and on a larger scale. Very small
transmutations pertaining to the Pillars associated
phenomena may be worked (alteration) as well. At this
level, the Pillar may allow for the bolstering of a
handful of Abilities, the lowering of difficulties for one
or two Abilities or the infliction of one or two Health
Levels of damage (bashing or lethal). Small quantities
of the element or concept may be summoned to the
mages location. Truly superhuman mundane applica-
tions of the Pillars associated phenomena are also
common at this level.
LVL CbR: AbVANCeb MANiPULACiON, The air grew thick with the smell of a fresh stroke of
bASiC ALCeRACiON A N b ~ L ~ M ~ N C A R ~ lightning.
CRACiON
At this level Of mastery7 the mage demonstrates
clearY the suPernatUral nature Of her craft. From this
point onward, the Pillars capabilities become strongly
influenced by the individual flavor of a given mystic
practice. Assume that feats a given Fellowship is re-
nowned for (such as the Onesmastery Of pace
Or the Order Of Herme
Over the fabric Of
magic itself) allow for a mage with a Pillar at this level
to accomplish one or two exceptional effects at this
level (such as the Bathis ability to teleport, or the
Hermetics ability to create Tass and otherwise ma-
nipdate Quintessence directly). Provided the material
(PhYsical,ePhemeralor PhilosoPhical) being created is
not excessive in its Potency (such as the Wrath Of
or impossible to truly fabricate at any level of power
(such as Quintessence, which exists in a finite quantity
within Creation), such a material may be given genesis
- often a small, but noticeable, form.
LeWL FOUR: A W A N C e b A L E R ACioN AND
bASiC CRACiON
At this level, the Pillar allows for amazing trans-
formations (such as shapechanging or rearranging the
Quintessential threads of the ongoing spell in an item
so as to disenchant it) and can form decent-sized
quantities of any normal, creatable physical substance
or greater quantities of a fully ephemeral concept.
Again, however, this Pillar level is, of necessity, heavily
influenced by the individual capabilities and philoso-
phies of a given Fellowship. Almost any lesser effects
pertaining to the Pillars area of influence, however,
that have been deliberately left offof lower Pillar levels
(to reflect a Fellowships lack of aptitude at a particular
endeavor) can probably be safely added in a t this point,
giving the mage the necessary aptitude to achieve the
mastery encompassed by the final Pillar level.
LVL FiV: AbVANCeb CWACiON
At this level, Of the item Or concept
in question may be generated out of nowhere and in
and far-reaching forms- Such is the power Of
this leve1 of mastery that
ideas may be made more or less permanent without the
need for the creation of an ongoing spell. (This is
accomplished by creating an idea so compelling that it
roots in the minds of others of its own accord, given
momentum by their will, added to the casters own.)
CRZAMN: Zb OWL
ARCAN
Stand aside, woman, and I shall allow you to depart
unscathed, for I require the Cauldron, A ~ ~ ~ - ~ ~ - N ~
asserted, raising his staff, which began gathering its power.
I will do no such thing, arrogant wizard, Morvyth
purred, twisting her crooked wand of yew in both hands.
Carefully, she put her profile to the Hermetic magus,
narrowing his target, and raised the wand in her right hand,
pointing it at his chest.
F~~his Own pa,.t, ~ ~ ~stood firm,
~ facing
- ~ ~ - ~
the witch-woman full on, He laughed aloud, [[I did not
imagine that, in coming here, I would have cause to educate
an unlettered country girl, but I am more than prepared to
do so. One last time, Morvyth; step aside and quit this
place.Jp
Her only response to curl her lips in a Snarl, ascold
winds swirled about her, whipping mercilessly at her long
hair and tunic. Ice crystals began to condense on
surfaces. Lightning radiated from the he& of Asar-un-
Nefers staff, wreathing his frame in deadly illumination.
He smiled grimly.
As you wish.. .
The tradition of a wizards duel stretches back,
some scholars say, to the day when Moses serpent
consumed those of the Pharaohs magicians. Some
claim it goes back to times before that, to the primor-
dial past of humanity. What is concretely known is that
the practice of the duel was officially codified in the
Years lust Prior tothe formation ofthe Order of Hermes,
in a system known as certbmen. While few outside of
the Order would refer to this system of formalized
dueling by its Hermetic name, many wizards across
Europe and beyond understand the fundaments of it,
since the founders of the Order, Bonisagus and
Trianoma, took especial care to spread knowledge of
certbmen to as many mystics as cared to listen -
knowledge that, in time, was passed on to successive
generations of apprentices.
Nowadays, certdmen (whether called by that name
or not) is used to resolve disputes between magi when
something significant is at stake, neither party wishes
to back down or otherwise compromise, and no one
really wants to see anybody dead over it. The formal-
ized battle of sorcery itself is merely one step in the
process. Inorder to adhere to proper practice (which is,
sadly, just as often as not, observed in the breach),
certamen follows this set progression of events:
 Declaration of Contention
Naturally, there can be no duel without a chal-
lenge. The challenging mage declares her intent to the
challenged (whether that be the usurpation of a cray,
the claiming of a mystic treasure or whatever), clearly
and without guile. The challenged wizard then accepts
the duel or cedes the point of contention, ending
hostilities (open hostilities, at any rate). If the chal-
lenged Will not back down, the duel Progresses to the
Contest of Wills
Provided that both magi wish to pursue this con-
flict (or, in other words, neither is willing to stand
down), it is customary for both mages to exchange a
round of taunts, threats, recitations of lineage, (harm-
less) displays of mystic martial prowess and the like.
Each does this in order to unnerve the other and,
thereby, to gain an advantage in the impending duel.
Either party may choose to step down at this point,
ceding the point of contention to the other.
This exchange is handled through a Manipulation
+ Intimidation (or Subterfuge) roll, with each mage
rolling against a difficulty equal to the others perma-
nent Willpower. Though the interplay between mages
may go back and forth for some time, the mechanics are
still handled by a single roll for each participant. The
mage who accrues more Successes in this exchange
gains a single bonus die in the following stage of the
duel. If either participant botches, he is disheartened
and suffers a -1 die penalty in the next stage. It is
possible to tie in this contest. In such a case, neither
participant gains or loses dice. (Should both partici-
pants botch this roll, they are simply treated as though
simply failing; the loss of face is mitigated by the
opponents similarly pathetic display.)
Should both participants still wish to Pursue has-
tilities, the duel progresses to the preliminary stages of
the battle of mystic wills.
Building a Locus
Certdmen requires a locus, or a Source of mystic
energy that serves as the opponents target for the duel.
In order to construct a locus, each participating mage
rolls Foundation + Pillar (players choice as to which),
at a difficulty of 6. Each Success allows the mage to
invest a single point of Quintessence into the locus (up
to the amount of available Quintessence the mage has
at hand, and without regard for how much Quintes-
Sence the mage can normally channel at once). If
either participant Cannot roll any dice or simply fails to
construct a locus, she loses automatically. (Likewise, if
either participant has no free Quintessence available
and was simply attempting to bluff through the con-
test, she will lose at this point, as well.) If both
participants, for whatever reason, fail to construct loci,
then the roll is repeated, at a difficulty 7. Should both
rties fail this second roll, they both roll again, this
time at difficulty 8. Should this third roll fail, etiquette
dictates that the duel is off and that the aggressor must
cede to the defender.
If both participants manage to create loci, then the
duel continues on to the next stage.
Selecting Aegis and Gladius
Each mage chooses one of her Pillars to serve as her
aegis (the defense for her locus)and one to act as her
gladius (her weapon against the other mages locus).
While engaged in the duel, each mage uses her gladius
Pillar to attack and her aegis Pillar to deflect. A mage
must choose, from turn to turn, how she will conduct
her offense and her defense. If she chooses to fight in a
balanced manner, committing fully to neither offense
nor defense, she rolls against a difficulty of 7 both when
attacking and in attempting to deflect successful at-
tacks. If she wishes to fight offensively, she reduces her
attack difficulty to 6, but raises her deflection difficulty
to 8. If she fights defensively, her attack difficulty is 8,
but her deflection difficulty is only a 6. While a mage
may choose to use the same Pillar to generate an aegis
and/or gladius that she used to create her locus, doing
SO is difficult, requiring a great deal of concentration,
and results in a +1cumulative difficulty to all rolls per
extra category used by that Pillar (thus, using the Same
Pillar as an aegis or gladius as was used to create a locus
increases difficulties during certdmen by 1, while using
the same Pillar for all three raises all difficulties during
the duel by 2).
After both mages select an aegis and a gladius, the
battle begins.
The Duel
Both mages involved in the duel roll initiative as
normal; the mage who wins initiative has the opportu-
nity to attack first. Conversely, he may also require his
opponent to strike first. Each mage gets precisely one
attack action and one deflection action every turn. The
attacking mage rolls his gladius Pillar (without adding
his Foundation) against the difficulty chosen (in the
previous stage), while the defender attempts to shield
her locus with her aegis Pillar (rolling against her
chosen defensive difficulty). If an attack successfully
O V W C O ~ ~the
S ~ ~ ~of bSuccesses e r rolled by the de-
fender to deflect, the attacker rolls dice of damage
(equal to her l h n d a t i o n rating, PIUSone per success by
which she superceded the other mass deflection roll)
against the defenders locus. At this point, the defender
rolls his Foundation rating to soak the damage. SUC-
cesses rolled by the attacker in excess of those rolled by
the defender to soaka breach ofthe aegis cause points
of Quintessence to disperse from the defenders locus,
on a one-for-one basis. These points are unavailable for
use in any way until the certdmen is over-
When one mages locus is finally exhausted (after
any number of turns of dueling; fights between Masters
have been known to last hours and some say that the
prize). Unfortunately, many of the pleasantries of the
resolution stage of the duel are foregone due to the
prodigious number of arrogant, impolite or egocentric
magi contending for power in the Dark Medieval.
Abu-Ibrahim Bukhari faced the Crusader without
fear, without hesitation. The warrior was one of the Franj,
and he carriedagreatsword ofburningwhite light. Come to
slay another infidel in the name of the Cross, more than
Abu-Ibrahims ears, translating them not into language,
but instead universal meaning: Heathen, you are unfit to
tread upon the land where the Risen Christ walked. I am
come toreclaim that landin the name ofthe Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit.
half. Abu-Ibrahim stepped inside the others guard, thrust-
ing with one dagger that suddenly became as 10. As the
Batinis strike drew close, Abu-Ibrahim saw a shield of
power raised before the Frenchman, woven tightly like a
mandala. But a pace separated the two combatants when
the Batini tore apart the Crusaders enchantments. Like-
wise, the Frenchmans power unmade Abu-Ibrahims mag-
ics. As the white light of the peatsword went dim, the only
sound was that of a single, ragged bath. The Crusader
slumped to the floor with a great clatter. The Batini shook
his head as he wiped his dripping blade on a cloth.
He who comes with recourse only to sorcery is a
Each mystic Fellowship has its own means of using
the magic of its Pillars to unweave other kinds of
sorcery. What follows here, for the sake of conve-
nience, is a rough summary of those means. Unless
otherwise specified, these spells cancel successes on a
 Ahl-i-Batin can use A1-Hajj 4 to disperse undesir-
able magics, piece by piece, into distant reaches of
space. Subtle Ones can also, with AleLayl5, simply go
unnoticed by the spells of others (creating a bank of
personal countermagic that benefits no one else, in the
case of spells with, for example, a radius of effect) and
can, with Al-Anbiya 5, artificially fulfill the destiny of
all but the most powerful lasting conditional enchant-
ments (such as Let this wall of fire fall only when the
fifth daughter of a fifth daughter, a virgin with red hair,
passes by in her hour of greatest need).
Messianic Voices use Uri-El4 to slay the spells of
others, imploring the Archangel to bring death to
those magics they find unseemly before the sight of the
Creator.
A druid of the Old Faith uses Minter 4 to tempo-
rarily suppress the power of ongoing magics and Winter
5 to brutally and completely dissolve any kind of spell
desired.
The Order of Hermes uses Primus 3 (the Aegis
Magicus) to enact ordinary countermagic and Primus
5 to destroy even the mightiest and most permanent
enchantments.
A shaman of the Spirit-Talkers uses Wise One 5 to
unmake any manner of enchantment or Trickster 5 to
evade the magics of another (in the same way as a
Batini with Al-Layl5).
Valdaermen use Galdrar 4 to unweave and dispel
the magics of others.
 R:

But I urge you who use t h ism n o t t o e a t any pork, a n d

every spirit a n d d a e m o n ect u n t o you, whoever h e
may be. As you exorcise, n c e [ a t t h e patient], begin-
ning a t t h e toes, blowing u p to his face, a n d h e [the
daemon] will be arrested. Be p u r e a n d keep this. For t h e spell is
in Hebrew, a n d i t is kept among pure men.
- The Great Magical Papyrus in Paris

<ANb FbiNG OF
~i - - - , -.AVORS
)nu
--,- IVI

Though by r10 means as common to the wilds of Dark Medieval

Europe as once tlley were, thaumavores may still be found prowling
near wherever sh;allowingsrend a hole through the Gauntlet separat-
ing the world off;orm and flesh from the Other World wherein these
fantastic creaturc:s now dwell - or elsewhere when astrological
conjunctions, ancient holidaysor other factorsconspire to bring down
the Gauntlet in Idsually stable areas (see Sacred Dates and Times in
Chapter Three, 1)p. 109-111). The members of the various Mystic
Fellowships rema ant for signs of these creatures. for the
 of the Dark Medieval period. Though Tass can universally be refined Quintessence upon which to dine. Much like with
rendered down into Quintessence (rewardenough for many the prior method, such hunts have a way of turning to the
mages), the raw Tass of many thaumavores has peculiar predators favor, especially if that wyvern youve been
properties that make it even more valuable,from the strength tracking for hours turns out to be one of a mated pair.
that can be gleaned from the blood of the vampire to the A third method of hunting involves learning what
benefits to extended castings to be gained from a trolls tail. sorts of Tass a particular type of thaumavore feeds upon,
finding such a source and then staking out that location
Cb bUNC and waiting for such a creature to show up in order to feed.
There are typically three mundane ways of tracking Though the peasants mentioned in the previous method
down magical creatures. If one knows of an area where the technically fit the criteria of this method, these are targets
Gauntlet is weak and shallowingsare common, one may of desperation or opportunity, not such creaturesnatural
hunt within that area in hopes of running across a unicorn prey. The main benefit to this method of hunting is that
or a monoceros or its tracks. Of course, one never knows a mage doing enough research can often find the exact
what one will actually come across using such a scattershot type of thaumavore, and by extension Tass, that hes in
approach. If the tracks one believes to be of a monoceros search of. Another benefit, as in the previous method, is
lead instead to a leucrota, the hunter can quickly turn that the hunter knows her quarry and can play upon its
into the hunted. weaknesses while bracing for its strengths. This method of
Another, morereliablemethod ofhunting thaumavores hunting is probably the smartest and safest by far of the
is to keep ones ears open and wait to hear multiple tales of three types, but it still poses its share of hazards. After all,
attacksby a supernaturalcreature in one locale. A one-time just because you know white unicorns feed on the Tass
attack means nothing, as a shallowing might unexpectedly grasses that can be found growing on Salisbury Hill, that
dump a hungry thaumavore onto the farmland of an unsus- doesnt mean that red unicorns dont as well-or that the
pecting serf, or might allow that serf to cross the Gauntlet manticore that feeds on both types wont be prowling
into that creatures hunting ground, only to later dump his Salisbury Hill looking for prey.
remains back into the mundane world. But if a magical
WAPiNG The RWAROS OF The hUNT, OR
carnivore has begun to feed regularly on the local peasantry,
you can be sure that it has been cut off from the Other World CASS COLLCTiON
and forced to find its sustenancewhere it can. Given their So, youve succeeded at your hunt, and now, in classic
druthers,predatory thaumavores would much prefer to dine European tradition, your wondering how to render an awe-
on their natural prey, the wild game of the Other World. inspiring example of supernaturedown to its base elements
Suchprey is bothmore filling,in thatthespiritualpreysfonn
generally offers a predatormore Quintessence than a simple
1 Commoner (though not necessarily a mage), and more
appetizing, as the bodies of the prey animals of the Other
World are made entirely of Tass instead of base matter
(again, mages bodies typically store greater amounts of
Quintessence within their flesh, making them more palat-
able).
There are a number of things to recommend this type
of hunt to mages eager to harvest Tass. Typically, preda-
tory thaumavores possess greater amounts of Tass than
their less-dangerous counterparts, offering those mages
willing to hunt down such dangerous beasts correi

ingly greater rewards. Also, by questioning survil
attacks by a beast and/or by examining the scenes or the
victims of its attacks, a wily mage can discover z:xactly
what sort of beast perpetrated those attacks and re search
its weaknesses, if any. Most mages would prefc:r sure
knowledge of their potential quarry to the hit-cir-miss
hunting technique outlined above. However, ther.e are a
couple of drawbacks to the practice. For one, huriting a
manticore or a peryton is orders of magnitude: more
dangerous than hunting a relatively benign magic211 crea-
ture such as a white stag. Another is that, to a Ihungry
thaumavore thats had nothing to slake its hunger 1but the
mal victuals of Deasant meat, a mage - is like manrla from
od, while an entire cabal is a veritable smorgasl3ord of
in order to enrich yourself. Well, the answer boils down to one
thing -research. Lots and lots of research.
This is where a mages (or a cabal of mages) Backgrounds
come into play. Obviously, Library lends itself to such activity,
and the collection of any Hermetic mage or Batini worth his
salt will certainly contain a bestiary outlining the uses of the
Tass that one may gather from the thaumavores described
within, as well as the methods with which one may harvest that
Tass. However, those Fellowships that lack a strong grounding
in book learning still possess strong oral traditions easily
represented by such Backgrounds as Mentor or Allies, which
might share tales of vario
Even mages familiars-
be able to shed light on how to extract Tass from the
carcasses of supematura
the nature they share with such creatures, man
familiars,whether they possess such knowledge or
not, are understandably
such information with their mages.

FAMiLi AR
The thaumavores that the majority of
mages of the Dark Medieval period are
most likely to deal with are their variou
familiars. An integral part of many a
magesmagical repertoire, the familiar
frequently proves to be a source of
consternation for both player
Storyteller. This section cont
advicedesigned to help playe
some of the pitfalls that can
potentially interesting cha
Background into a twinkish
mare for players and St
alike.
The main mistakeplayersmake
when designing familiars for their
charactersis that they tend to make
them too outlandish,so much so that they
overshadow the charactersthey are meant
to complement. There is an old show busi-
ness maxim that goes Never work with
animals or children.
reasons for that saying
children and animals are difficultto wo
The second, and the one that
in Dark Ages: Mage, is that
the star in any scene in whic
phenomenon sometimes occurs with familiars in
Mage games. A given player may spend a great deal
of time makingsurethat her characterfits seamlessly
into her fellow players cabal and her Storytellers
chronicleonly to then design an over-the-topfamil-
iar that sticks out like a sore thumb.
If youve just got to have an outlandish familiar,
at least concoct an interesting origin for the familiar,
 and esteem are infinitely preferable to the alternative. A
familiar whos treated more like a servant than an equal
is going to harbor strong feelingsof resentment toward its
mage, and when the chips are down and theresno one left
to turn to for help, its entirely possible the familiar wont
be forthcoming with that help.
Another problem that often comes up when design-
ing a familiar for a Dark Ages: Mage chronicle is deciding
on what sort of creature is an appropriate type for a Dark
Medieval familiar. What familiars are appropriate for
what Fellowships?Do members of each of the Fellowships
commonly keep familiars?
The best way to answer these questions and to design
a familiar appropriate to the idiom of your character is to
go straight to the source material for that characters
Mystic Fellowship (The Arabian Nights for the Batini, for
instance, or the Elder Eddu for the Valdaermen), or to go
online to one of the many comprehensive mythology sites
that are there, and work from that groundwork. Of course,
has entered ir its often impossibleto put that kind of work into charac-
benefit - it IT ter design, much less familiar design. So, for simplicitys
sake, what follows are some basic guidelines for players
and Storytellers to use when designing familiarsfor their
characters, organized by Fellowship.
The Ahl-i-Batin are least likely of all the Fellow-
ships to possess familiars. Of those few Ahl-i-Batin
who do possess them, however, most favor fabulous
creatures of Arabian legend. While there are a certain
number of horses, camels, monkeys and other common
beasts among the ranks of Ahl-i-Batin familiars, the
majority are Bygones such as phoenixes, minor djinn
and even mechanical constructs.
Familiars are also rare among the Messianic Voices.
Though there are biblical precedents and the example of
SaintFrancis of Assisi with which to justifythe Fellowships
connection to certain animals deemed sacred by
Christendom, the Messianic Voices as a whole finds the
idea of entering into a Pact with spirit entities who take
incarnate fonn to whisper advice into the ears of those
mages foolish enough to listen as spiritually dangerous -
.. .
-ifFellowships,
not outriglht demonic. But as with all the Mystic
.
there are those within the Messianic Voices
who defy convention and keep familiars. Typically,famil-
iars for the Messianic Voices appear as mundane animals
such as white doves, lambs or even lions or fish. Familiars
of Messianic Voices mages are seldom Bygones. Most
Bygones would be viewed as Satan-spawn by such mages,
so the likelihood of a Pact being forged is quite low.
Practitioners of the Old Faith are those mages most
likely tcI have familiars; in fact, there is a long tradition of
such beiings aiding and tutoring those of the Old Faith. In
light have found any number of fantastic
g as familiars to Old Faith mages. How-
ers of this Fellowship have learned through
ce how dangerous it is to possess Bygone
e Dark Medieval period, so Old Faith
familiars are now almost invariably mundane creatures.
Even the once-ubiquitousblack cat has faded in popular-
ity since current folklore has linked the animal to Devil
worship. Now, familiars of this Fellowship commonly
appear in the forms of (non-black) cats, toads, non-
venomous snakes, rabbits and ravens.
The mages of the Order of Hermes are those most likely
to pass familiars down lines of magicians from master to
apprentice. Also, of all the Mystic Fellowships, the Order's
familiars are the most evenly divided between the fantastic
and the mundane, and therefore, a given Hermetic mag'eis
,A,
as likely to possess a Bygone familiar as he is a seemir,,,,
ordinary animal. Common animals that often act as Her-
metic familiars include owls, snakes and ferrets. The Order
of Hermes mages also keep a dizzying array of oddball
creatures as familiars, from homunculi to golems - even
tiny dragons are not uncommon Hermetic familiars. The
Order of Hermes' hubris is such that its members make few
attemptsto hide such outlandish creatures from prying eyes,
a practice that's bound to cause problems for the Order in the
future if left unchecked.
Some Spirit-Talkers, despite their understanding
of the Spirit World and its inhabitants, refuse to keep
incarnate familiars. In fact, it is these Spirit-Talkers'
deep and abiding respect for the myriad spirits of the
Earth and their ability to readily communicate with
these spirits that make the practice of binding such
entities into restrictive material Pacts so uncommon.
Why bind a spirit to a crude material existence when it
is a simple matter to talk with it in its sublimely
beautiful, immaterial form and garner the same infor-
mation and/or tutelage?A much more common practice
among members of this Fellowship involves entering
into Pacts with immaterial spirit familiars, or fetches
(see sidebar). In the few instances where Spirit-Talkers
have bound spirits into Pacts to become material famil-
iars, those familiars have most often taken forms
mirroring those of the familiars of the Old Faith -
toads, cats, snakes, ravens and rabbits.
The Valdaermen are often wont to keep familiars.
Most of the creatures that are Valdaermen familiars play
prominent roles inNorse myth. However, unlike in other
mythologies - of the world, the legends of the Norsemen
v
are replete with intelligent animals tha t impart wisdom
even to the gods. As a result, the familiars of the
\1,1,4,,,,..
_ _ l"l +
,..,,,..,,.
aIuaciuiciL appcai
L., ..-- Cl.. -
l u 3 L I 1 C q u c : L l L l v d a common animals,
^^
with the occ :asional golden boar or eilght-legged horse
thrown in for good measure. Common animal types for
Valdaermen familiars are right out oIf Norse legend,
.:,1-
including sqh111c13, ..,...,.-.. --.- l-.-" LA--
I ~ V C I L D , W U k V C a , UCdls and even goats.
Another group of mages that frequently keeps famil-
iars is the Infernalists. In fact, the practice is so common
among Infernalists that both the Church and laymen
recognize it as a sign of Devil worship. The reason for
familiars' popularity with Infernalists is twofold. First, the
reason Infernalists turn to the Dark Arts in the first place
is to gain power, and it is often through the conspiratorial
whisperings of the familiar that the secrets of power are
revealed to them. Second, the Infernalists' dark masters
are always concerned that their mortal servants might try
to renege on their bargains and save their souls from
eternal damnation. Better, then, to have a demonic
servant on hand to watch for any sign of redemptive
behavior, so that it might nip such disobedience in the
bud before it gets out of hand - or if worse comes to
worse, so the familiar might do in the defiant Infernalist
prior to his reconciliation with the Creator. Common
types of Infernal familiars include black cats, venomous
snakes, bats, rats and even the occasional imp.
Unlike other familiars who enjoy a plethora of ways
of feeding on their mages' Quintessencc:, Infernal famil-
iars invariably feed on their mages' blooId. In addition to
losing Quintessence to her familiar, the Infernalist loses
one lethal Health Level per two points of Quintessence
she feeds to the familiar. In fact, to facilitate this process,
an Infernalist who possesses a familiar a1ways has a super-
fluous nipple located somewhere on her body by which
the creature feeds. Unfortunately for ttLe women of Eu-
rope, this Devil's mark becomes commcin knowledge to
the Church's inquisitors, but its exact: appearance re-
mains recognizableonly to the most higldy trained of the
Inquisition's witch-hunters. Therefore, thousands of in-
nocents would be put to death by ill-trainled inquisitors on
L.lr uuu.u ".
the L r i r A choir h c n , i n m ,;-,lo
cIIbII LILs oLLlkpLL
mnloc and birthmarks.
lI1vIL.o
n
Many dangerous beings haunt the roadways and sea
lanes of the Dark Medieval. Here are a few such creatures,
dreaded by Commoners and any sane man.
 ,-..,.7.#+ 6 (.- .-
SAMPLEFAMILIAR- PITCH
After stirring young Gwendolyn from her b

than meets the eye. ,.

The deal struck, the spirit used its powers to

1 f6r her own inevitabkdemise:

!

, unite until sunrise.

the hands of the Christian gods.enforccrs - ot forded to a cat Of his pedigree.

that there was no d&ht. However, she did not Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, ,

f want the traditions of the Old Faith to die with Charisma 4,Manipulation 3, Appearance 1, Per-
f her. Gwendolyns training was incomplete, and.- cePthn.4, intelligence 2 , Wits 4,
the girl would never be able to progress into the .Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 2 , Brawl 2,Climb-
realm of true magic without aid. * . ,. ing 3, Do.dge 3 , Empathy 2 , Enigmas 3 ,
V I I

The spirits listened to the womans plight and Intimidation 2, Stealth 4,Subterfuge 2 4
wished to help her in her time of ne&, for the elder Willpower: 3
mage had never forgotten tlie old ways and had Health Levels: OK, -1, -2, -5, Incapacitated
always given the spirits the worship they were dae. , A ~0 ~ ~ ~ :
o n e of the gathered,spirits offered a possible soh-
AHa&: cfdw or bite for one die oflethailamage
! tion. That spirit, one of wisdom and guile, would

become young Gwendolyns familiar and would

succeed Gwendolyns aunt as the young mages ,
Powers: Backlash Negation (twice per story),
Prbtection (one dot)
Weaknesses: None

..-. -.. - - _-
Cb bLACk bOG OF Cbe CROSSROAbS (NiGbT
bOUNb)
A myth surrounding this dire dog in Britain states
that his coming heralds death. People are told to avoid
the crossroads at night for fear they may meet the Black
Dog. Other stories, however, tell of the Black Dog appear-
ing like an angel of mercy to children dying of disease. Its
motives and master are unknown, but it sends fright into
travelers across the entire continent of Britain and keeps
them home at night with their doors locked.
Willpower 8, Rage 3, Gnosis 8, Essence 20
Charms: Airt Sense, Appear, Death Fertility, Dream
Journey, Ease Pain, Flee, Iron Will, Reform, Track
Image: This spirit always takes the form of a tall black dog
that only appears at night. It has been seen as a mastiff
with fur like black velvet, an Irish wolfhound with wiry
fur the color of night, and a great dane running through
the darkness. It is only seen at major crossroads, staring at
midnight travelers with ghostly yellow eyes.
SiRN
Longhaired temptressesof the sea, Sirens lure sailors
to watery graves on unseen reefs or in dangerous straights.
They are generally found in warmer coastal regions, far
from the habitations of men, and they appear to be
normal -although stunningly beautiful -women, with
hair the color of spun gold, eyes a startling blue, skin more
pale than the finest cream, and always naked. They tend
to sun themselves on rocks within view of the coast and
watch whatever activities occur there.
If spotted by a female, the Sirens will turn tail and
run, slipping into the sea to disappear from sight. If they
spy a male, however, they immediately begin singing out
to him, their voices ringing across the open water. Most
males are hard pressed to resist the lure of their beautiful
song. Those who fail to withstand its call will try to swim
out to the Sirens, no matter how far they may be, or
attempt to steer their vessel toward them, regardless of
dangerous waters.
Sirens do not actually allow men to reach them,
however, and will retreat, leading their would-be par-
amoursinto ever-more dangerouswatersuntil they drown.
However, if a man can actually reach them and grab hold
of one, it will surrender and beg to be let go. It can be
forced into revealing the location of its undersea lair,
where the Sirens collect the belongings of all their previ-
ous victims.
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3 , Cha-
risma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 5, Perception 2,
Intelligence 2, Wits 3
Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 4, Brawl 1, Dodge 2,
Expression 5, Subterfuge 4, Animal Ken 2, Stealth 3 ,
Survival 3, Linguistics 2
Willpower: 5
Health Levels: OK, -1, -1, -2, -2, -5, Incapacitated
Armor: 0
Attacks: Fist
Powers: Siren Song (by spending one Willpower point,
the Siren can sing out to males, tempting them to come
to its current position, no matter the danger. A man can
resist with a Willpower roll, difficulty 9. This difficulty
can be lowered by two if the ears are completely covered,
and by one more if loud noise plays to drown out the song)
Weakness: Sirens cannot easily defend themselves, and
will give up rather than fight.
Tass: The hair of a Siren carries with it some of the beauty
of the Siren herself. If collected while the Siren is still
living, the hair can be woven into bracelets, rings, or into
anothers hair. Each lock of hair, in whatever form,
contains the power to make its bearer more beautiful or
tempting, lowering by one the difficulty of any rolls
associatedwith seduction. Each lock of hair contains two
points of Quintessence.
WMONS
Beings of demonic origin have been known to appear
throughout history. They seem to have some limitations,
such as having to be brought to this world by a magician
of some type, but once let loose upon the earth they have
complete freedom to wreak havoc with human lives.
Needing no food, water, or air to breathe, they foment
evil until put down by some force. Not all are of the same
strength or even of the same form, but they all seem to
have but one purpose: to destroy what is good.
iMP
Minor servants of evil, Imps could be almost comical
in nature were it not for their vile behavior. Some young
mages summon such beings to serve as familiars. Imps,
however, despise such servitude, even though they pro-
fess to love it to their masters face. They want nothing
more than to break the familiar/magebond and run freely
through the world, causing trouble. Sneaking into bed-
rooms and stinging people in the night is one of their
favorite tactics. They also tend to collect anything and
everything that might be of a magical nature, and gather
the flotsam of the magical world into their hidey-holes in
the hopes of finding an object of genuine power.
Those wishing to gain an Imp for a familiar need only
spend one Background point. Additional points can be
spent to gain the familiar abilities listed on p. 86 of the Dark
Ages: Magerulebook. Anyone who sees a mage with an Imp
familiar will surely assume the wotst and call in the Inquisi-
tion. For this reason, it is best for the mage to bid his Imp to
remain invisible and out of the way at all times.
Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3 , Stamina 2, Cha-
risma 1, Manipulation 2, Appearance 0, Perception 2,
Intelligence 2, Wits 2
Abilities: Alertness 1,Athletics 1,Awareness 1, Brawl 1,
Dodge 1, Subterfuge 4, Stealth 5, Occult 3
Willpower: 3
Health Levels: OK x 2, -1, -2, -5, Destroyed.
Armor: 0
Attacks: Tail stinger (Str + 1L plus possible poison) Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3 , Stamina 4, Cha+
Powers: Flight (the Imp can fly five yards per turn) risma 5, Manipulation 5, Appearance 6, Perception 2,
Hide (when hiding behind cover, the difficulties for Intelligence 3, Wits 3
search rolls to spot or find the Imp are raised by three) Abilities: Alertness 2, Athletics 2, Awareness 2, Brawl 1,
Invisibility (the Imp can make itself invisible to normal Dodge 2, Empathy 4, Expression 4, Subterfuge 5, Eti-
sight; sounds and touch impressions, such as footprints, quette 2, Melee 1, Performance 3, Stealth 3, Enigmas 1,
still remain. If the Imp spends one Willpower point, it Linguistics 2, Occult
remains invisible for a scene, but if it interacts physically Willpower: 7
or socially with another being besides a mage bonded to Health Levels: OK x 4, -1 x 4, -2 x 2, -3 x 2, -5,
it in a familiar Pact, it becomes visible. If two Willpower Incapacitated
points are spent, the invisibility lasts for one scene and Armor: 0
the Imp need not worry about bumping into other beings) Attacks: claw + IL, Bite + 1~
Poison (by spending one WiIlPower Point, the Imp can Powers: Temptation (by spending one Willpower point,
impregnate its tail stinger with a deadly poison. Each hour an Incubus/Succubus can make itself irresistible to those
that a victim remains untreated (Le., does not receive a attracted to its sex.ne demon must make eye
successfulMedicine skill roll or magical healing), he loses with the target, who may resist with a willpower roll,
a point of Stamina. If the victim is reduced to Stamina 0, difficulty 8)
he dies) Incorporeal (by spending one Willpower point, an Incu-
Weakness: An Imp cannot resist the call of its True bus/succubus may itself into a fine mist for one
Name, andmusthuVtoanY whosPeakit.Itcannotenter scene, immune to physical weapons and capable of slip-
holy ground or stand in the presence of holy relics. ping through cracks)
Weapons essed a true Priest aggravated dam- Weakness: The In,-ubus/Succubus cannot resist the call
age to the demon. of its True Name, and must hurry to any who speak it. It
Tass: The dried of an Imp, when used as awmd, makes cannot enter holy ground or stand in the presence of holy
it easier to cast spellsofevil intent. Spellsdesigned to destroy relics. weapons blessed by a true priest deliver aggravated
or defile have their difficulties lowered by one. The tail is damage to the demon.
extremelyfragile,however;itcanonlybeusedthree times for Tass:In addition to the of harvesting demon T~~~
this purpose, after which it crumbles to dust. listed above, the breath of a living Incubus/Succubus,
iNcul3us/succuBus when caught in a bottle, can be inhaled to make someone
The Incubus is the male form and the Succubus the truly attractive. The gas only lasts for one evening, but
female form of this demon of temptation and lust, known lowers by two the difficulty for social rolls-
to nearly all cultures (although by different names). Its OJiNN
form is that of an incredibly attractive person, and it is
most often summoned and bound to this world by a mage So the hairless apes would set themselwes abowe us in the
hierarchy of creation?Do Adams breed boast of summoning,
who seeks a comely and skilled bed partner (see Traffic
bindingand commundingusat will?Ha! Ifart a typhoon upon
with Spirits, pp. 116, for some ideas on commanding
summoned spirits). There is great danger in this, how- the colhrbones ofsulayman! Can we not summon a man by
taking on the voice of his fiend or lower?Can we not bind him
ever, for the demon gains its sustenance from the life force
with manacles of iron and walls of stone? Can we not
of its sexual partners, devoured when the victim is at the
command him when wearing the face of his liege? When lblis
height of ecstasy. Over a period of a few weeks, an
refused to prostrate himself before Adam along with the other
Inbubus/Succubuss nightly visits can slowly enervate a
mortal unto death. angels, he was adhering most piously to the first divine com-
mandment - Thou shalt worship no god but God!
A powerful mage, however, can turn the tables and
instead draw Tass from the demon by casting an extended - Biwarasp the Wise, King Heroic of Balasaghun,
spell over the course of a sexual coupling session. The the Isle of the Djinn in the Green Sea
mage rolls only her Foundation, with no Pillar. She must So much is said of the djinn. So little can be
withhold her climax until she achieves five successes, confirmed.***
after which she can withdraw one point of Tass from the The Quran and other sources declare that God cre-
demon, who loses a Willpower point and one Health ated the race of djinn from smokeless fire. Nobody has
Level. If climax comes before the spell is successful, the ever determined just what smokeless fire is, but the
reverse happens: the demon takes the mages own es- notion of fire without physical byproduct or residue
sence, and the mage loses the Willpower point and the suggests that Some Sort of Umbral substance Or Process is
Health Level. Climax can be avoided without a roll for involved. The Invisible World of the djinn is certainly
one turn per Willpower dot the mage possesses, after Part of the Umbra, but many djinn have stated that they
1 e must roll Willpower against difficulty 8 (the lived in the material world long before the creation of
1 . 1

well skilled). man, and point to various ancient megalithic ruins as

evidence. Furthermore, the djinn have always said that
they come from Jabal Qaf. This is generally taken to
mean that Mount Qaf was where their speciesoriginated,
as many other realms and kingdoms within the Invisible
World are known (at least by name, such as the island of
Balasaghun mention he context of the
djinns words seems ount Qaf is their
currenthome.Now, c ncountered on the
green mountain since time immemorial, but the Batini of
Sihr Maqamut have no record or evidence of a large djinn
community anywhere on its face. This is not to say,
however, that Jabal Qaf may not have slopes that are
invisible to mortal e)res.. ..
(Of all this the sage Abu Tufayl commented that
many mysticalteachings hint that the physical world and
--- ,.-A *I.- ,.--. ^,.-L,.- *Le
spiritual world were ollct: ullc
I^^^
dllU Lilt: adlllc, pCllldp Lllc
separation of the two coincided with the rise of mankind,
and the djinn were relepated to the realm of sririt. If
similar displacement occurred - or is still occurring -
on Jabal Qaf, this womuld certainly explain the contempt
which most djinn hoId toward humanity.)
. . r
Nor is it known how many varieties or ajinn mere are.
1.. 1 A
Some sources indicate many distinct subspecies, while oth-
ers attest that any given djinn can assume a number of forms,
from natural phenomena like sandstormsto the appearance
ofanormal-looking human being. One type is thesilaah,who
always appear in the forms of animals, although plant and
mineral djinn may also exist. Abu Tufayl recounts how, on
his pilgrimage to Mecca, he accidentally trod upon the head
of a small sand-snake, crushing it. Inexplicablysaddened, he
stopped and gave the poor creature a proper burial by the
roadside, amid much derision from his fellow pilgrims. That
night, as he slept in a caravanserai, a regal host of mighty
djinn confronted him in his dreams.They explainedthat the
sand-snakehad been in actualitya beloved saint amongtheir
people, that he had been present at the Night of Fana and
was counted among the favored companions of the Khwaja
al-Akbar. Had Abu Tufaylnot amended his deed by respect-
fully burying the silaah, the djinn lords went on, they would
surely have taken his soul from his body and subjected it to
an eternity of torment in retribution.
Two other types are known, though these appear tl0
be social designationrj rather than races. The ifnt is a wilc1,
unruly and destruct ive sort that assumes a large an1d
monstrous aspect. T L ., L c l l l l 1.,yrllFlalry
+
e.
.-
-1,,.
:r
. 1,A:.-appiicu
_- tn
Lu
A,.-
clluDe
djinn who sided with the Dc-vi1 Kings in ancient time:5,
although the djinn themsel!ves seem to use it for anY
violent, malicious or stupid. . , . l - , ,lIIF.ILLucl c , A ,:- laLL. T
CnCn
LIIcLl
most powerful among t he-djinn is called a murid; thoughL
to be the oldest of the,ir kind, the marid is an awesome
entityofneargodlikepi.oportions and facilities.Note thaIt
none of the terms givt,, L.., rn -*.+,,Ilx, n,-l.,c;.,n.
In
LLLIL IlluLually
djinn may be silaah, ifit and murid all at once.
ZiNJAN ZAkAARS MNAC$3!i OF GNii
All of Zinjan Zakaars (seep. 18) djinn save for Kabir
are being held against their wishes, constrained by his
magic and fearful of his dominating will and searing
wrath. His mastery of the Keys of Sulayman forces them
to execute all his commands to the letter, but if he ever
leaves them a loophole in the exact wording of his
instructions, they will attempt to enlist the service of any
mage who seems strong enough to kill Zinjan or clever
enough to somehow free them from his control.
kAbiR
Kabir is Zinjans most frequently used captive spirit, an
ifrit of great size, strength and destructivepotential, kept in
a heavily padlocked iron casket. He speaks only Turkish,
with a very limited vocabulary. Kabir is not very intelligent,
and sometimeshas trouble in distinguishing friend from foe
during battle.
Willpower 4,Rage 8, Gnosis 1, Essence 13
Charms: Armor, Blast, Quake
Image: Kabir appears as a hairy, ape-like ogre almost 10 feet
ta 11, with curving tusks, broken fangs and tiny, stupid eyes,
b1mdishing a spiked club of knotted wood.
Abu Harim
nbu Harim sleeps coiled in a round clay jug. Zinjan employs
him to track down and retrieve stolen objects, or to find
items that Zinjan seeks. Abu Harim (literally, Father of
Thieves) cannot speak, but unbeknownst to Zinjan,he can
read and write Arabic and is quickly learning Latin.
Willpower 5, Rage 4,Gnosis 7, Essence 16
Charms: Airt Sense,Cling, Flee, Track
Magic: Al-Ikhlas 2, A1-Anbiya 2, A1-Hajj 3
Image: This small, reddish-brown, ferret-like s i l d has very
keen senses and eight tiny legs, and can flatten or stretch his
elongated body to slip through narrow spaces, like under
doors or through gratings.
buLbuL
Bulbul is Zinjans spy, flying far and wide to eavesdrop
on distant conversations, then relaying them to his master
upon his return. Bulbul is a perfect mimic with an amazing
memory, and can replay any discourse, complete with all
inflections, nuances and even background sounds, as pre-
cisely as any modern tape recorder. He only understands
Arabic,however, and can speak for himself only in birdsong.
Willpower 6, Rage 2, Gnosis 5, Essence 13
Charms: Airt Sense, Call for Aid, Flee, Track
Magic: Al-Ikhlas 2, Al-Fatihah 1
Image: Bulbul is another silaah, and takes the form of a
brightly plumed songbird when released from his fancy
l.
I
crystal bottle.
t
SbAMS-i-PASbA
Shams-i-Pasha can learn any spoken language after
a hearing it continuously for more thana fewminutes,and can
see into the hearts of men to know whether or not they
believe the words that they are saying. When Zinjan is being 1
lied to, she alerts him tc
Willpower 5, Rage 3, C
Charms: Disable, Insigl
she takes the form of a translucent, rainbow-streaked
serpent over two feet long and no larger around than a
childs little finger. Zinjan usually drapes the serpentine
Shams-i-Pashaaround his shoulder with her neck looped
over his ear, concealed under the train of his turban.
AyiSbA qANbiSbA
The drivers seat of Zinjans oxcart is a heavy
oaken box reinforced with iron bands and many
heavy locks of various sorts. Within is a squat,three-
leggedcoveredcauldron,somethreefeet indiameter,
fashioned ofred Cathayan jade carved with bind
ing glyphs; its lid is sealed with molten lead and
bears the great Seal of Sulayman. In this is kept
the most potent force in Zinjan Zakaarsmenag-
erie, the marid called Ayisha Qandisha. The
North African equivalent of the ancient
Mesopotamian demoness Lilith, Ayisha
Qandisha can incite lust in the heart of man or
woman to the point where they are driven mad
by their passions. (In modem psychological

ing men and loves to eat them, although sheprefers the

taste of babies. Zinjan never allows her to leave the cauldron
or sends her on missions,because he knows that even he
cannot control her once she is freed. Given proper time \ .%

and space to work the great binding rituals, however, he

may open the cauldron for the purpose of lowering a
particularly recalcitrant enemy into it. In his idle moments,
Zinjan speculates on the mayhem that would result were he
to release her in Rome, the seat of Christian religious
authority. (That is the Western Rome in Italia, not
to be confused with Constantinople, which Muslims
call Rum, or Rome.)
Willpower 7, Rage 9, Gnosis 4,Essence 25
Charms:Armor, Blast, Blighted Touch, Call for Aid, -c
Conuption, Influence, Iron Will, Mindspeech, Possession,
Shapeshift, Umbral Storm
Magic: Al-lkhlas 4,all Ubbadan Pillars at 4

15feet tall, emaciated and skeletal but with pendulous, low-

slung breasts and buttocks. Her long, matted, black hair,
writhing like tentacles, frames a skull-likeface with jagged
brown teeth, a four-foot long tongue with the texture of a
wood rasp and glowing red eyesburning in their deep sockets.
Her broad, fan-like ears are pierced with many copperhoops,
from which dangle shriveled male members. Numerous
similar piercings adorn her body, along with tattoos that coil
across her scabrousand pustulant flesh. She devours her foes
n between her legs.
 'iluvest &dame %mg,
drat this frttrr finds you well ad that your shrdirs are pro8pessing satisplcfofit~.3 red with

dead. 3f he is indepd still alive, 3 am certm'nthat there is nau~~kt

1

3 am greatiy sorry fo bring such sad ncws to your attention, A

dcrs at thr &ought of losing him ad of hurting yw.3 takp thr res
.'

1Every village tells tales of the faerie folk, how they Whi
steal babies at night, poke sleeping children with pins, to u
and :ibduct lovers that wander too far into the forest. Of dism
courk,.,. cL,..+,,:,,,,-I. _--^ :c:-.--" ._.^11 -"-,.,",.&:---.*-l--
L l l C B L U l l C J LU U C p U 3 l L I V C d D W C I l d D 11Cg:dLlVc. LdlCb
.I-
wuv do believe in faeries have little justification for their
of brownies who clean house when no one is looking, or beliefs beyond what the common villager has to say. But
fairy hags who cure the illnessesof travelers kind enough still they believe, evidence that some mages are no more
to stop and share a crust of bread. For most mages, these immune to suDerstitionthan Commoners. although t h r n

tales form the bulk of their knowledge about-the Fae. would certainly claim otherwise.

dealings with the Fae in the past, or the Order of Hermes,
who record every last detail of any supernatural occur-
rence. However, this does not mean that mages from
other Fellowships cannot also have had some personal
experience or have access to some document that leads
them to believe that those old wives tales might indeed
SWb9 OF Cbe FA
Fae use a substance similar to Quintessence to
create their Glamours and treasures. It has been widely
documented that Fae treasures can be broken down into
pure Quintessence, although this process destroys the
treasure in question. It is rumored that some less scrupu-
lous mages have managed to distill Fae creatures into Tass
as well. However, this process will certainly gain the
enmity of the Fae, and they have an instinctive sense of
who has employed such measures. The method for ob-
taining such Tass varies from creature to creature, but it

late into rational thought. do so through trial and error.

-Joaia of Tours, Explication of the Nature and Society Cold iron is the one most powerful weapon against
the Fae, and most weapons are made of this substance.
who wish to the Fae into Worked iron is less effective. Still, the practice ofhanging
their Dark Ages: Ma@ games should first consider how iron horseshoes Over doorframes is believed to offer some
much the characters about them* Even the Fae protection. Folktalesalso recommend the following meth-
expert of the group draws information from diverse ods of protection, although they arenot generallyaccepted
sources, both informed and uninformed. Joaia of Tours, among the mages: religiousartifacts or implements, wear-
Who wrote what is considered by many mages to be the ing articles of clothing backwards, throwing salt over
foremost study of the Fae, gained much ofher information ones shoulder, and leaving food and drink on the door-
from village tales and word of mouth. This Work is filled step to satisfythe faeries of the night. Storytellers are also
with inconsistency and hearsay, and the author quite encouraged to develop local superstitions of their own.
honestly admits this in her introduction. Furthermore,
the work itself is incomplete, missing full chapters from FAeRie CReAuRes
the few copies in existence. Clearly, this is no coinci- Given that the Fae prefer to remain hidden from
dence, given that all of the copies are missing the same sight, it is logical that mages would have limited contact
chapters. Furthermore, Joaia herself has disappeared and with them. Most Fae scholars have never seen one of the
has proven impossible to locate. fair folk up close. There are, however, plenty of sightings

Faerie folk do not like to be seen. They appear to

have supernatural powers of stealth or possibly the ability
to remain invisible, even to those with the Sight. How-
ever, infants and animals have been observed to act
strangely in houses believed to be inhabited by the Fae,
and it is theorized that they may have some ability to see
through these powers.
The Fae also possess magical powers, known in
folklore as Glamours. The nature of these Glamours is
highly debated, and many mages have devoted their lives
to learning how Glamours work and whether mages
might be able to learn them as well. Given that the Fae are
not forthcoming with this information,these mages study
Faerie artifacts and folklore. Toaia of Tours is rumored to
of faerie creatures by mages, and it is on the strength of unfortunate enough to witness it. In fact, some of the finest
these sightings that most of the theories and summaries fishing coves are now deserted in favor of less productive
have been based. waters on the account that the Nuckelavee have chased all
Although some mages refer to them as spirits, this of the fishermen away.
name is not entirely appropriate. Certainly, they are not The Nuckelavee are blamed for any ill happenings in
spirits or ghosts, since they do not inhabit the Under- the sea and on the beach. They are blamed for boats
world as those unfortunate souls do. But they are similar coming loose in the water as well as for poor fishing days.
to spirits in that they have the ability to remain unseen if Farmers curse them for cattle and sheep that fall to their
they wish to do so and some can make their presence felt death from cliffs at the waters edge, claiming that the
by making noises or moving objects in a manner similar Nuckelavee have an enticing power that draws the ani-
to a poltergeist. In addition, some mages believe that Fae mals to them. They are also known for sending ill sea
creatures are easier to find by the light of the full moon, winds to destroy crops and bring illness to villagers who
and mages with interest in faerie doings often conduct live too close to their beaches.
their business on these nights. Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Cha-
Every mage who has seen a Fae creature tells tales of risma 3, Manipulation 1, Appearance 0, Perception 4,
creatures of otherworldly demeanor, whose very shape is Intelligence 3, Wits 4
inhuman. Certainly, no one would ever mistake one of Abilities: Animal Ken 3 , Athletics (swimming) 5, Brawl
these creatures for a human being, for they are too oddly 3, Intimidation 4,Stealth 4
shaped to pass for one. This has led some mages to Willpower: 4
conclude that the fair folk themselves are similar in Health Levels: OK, -1 x 3, -2 x 2 , -3, -5, Incapacitated
appearance, and the tales of beautiful faerie queens are
Armor: 0
completely untrue. Others, including Joaia of Tours,
argue that the servitor creatures are obviously lesser folk, Attacks: Fear is the Nuckelavees primary weapon. How-
and that there is perhaps a society of Fae, where the true ever, they have been known to grapple with their victims
Fae remain hidden and the creatures do all of the work and drown them.
with mortals. Powers: Voice of the Sea (by spending a point of Willpower,
The following are a few examples of Fae creatures. One the Nuckelavee can alter the waters within 10yards, such as
hallmark of the faerie folk is that they tend to be tied to creating waves to capsize boats, frightening away fish, or
particular cultures or locales. There are Fae creatures that calling predatory and very hungry sea creatures)
live inside the home, those that skulk in the wooded shad- Weaknesses: The Nuckelavee is repelled by fresh water,
ows, and others that prowl the seashores. It is very rare that and the creature never appears during the rainy season.
they leave their preferred habitat, and in fact they become Many fishermen carry small vials of fresh spring water to
progressively weaker and weaker the longer they spend away protect themselves when they fish.
from their sphere of influence. Given this, Storytellers are Tass: The blood of the Nuckelavee, when left to dry in
encouraged to develop additional creatures based on the the sun for a fortnight, turns into a coarse reddish powder.
chronicles setting and local legend. This powder can be used to decorate a mages face and
head in a manner similar to war paint, providing two
NUC~<LAW
Quintessence points. If the Storyteller wishes, the appli-
The Nuckelaveeis sofeared by the localinhabitantsthatmost
cation of Nuckelavee blood may also give the mage a
are loath to speak of it. Eventually, after much persuasion,
disquieting aura. This reduces the difficulty of Intimida-
Kirstaine MaGregor, a young housewife froma long line of
tion rolls by one and increases the difficulty of Empathy
fishermen,was persuaded to tell me about the creature. She rolls by one.
sobbedinfear as she spoke, havinghad a nighttimeencounterwith
one of them whenshe was trying to tie h a boat that hadcome bURGAR
unlashedina heavy storm. Thepooorgirlstillhasnighhnaresabout The Duergar are capicious little folk, and wise travelers
the event, and I have u&tak.en to provide her with a black will carry with them some small gift to bestow upon any
cohosh tea to ease the pain of her memory. Duergar they might meet. This is often enough to satisfy the
-Joaia of Tours, Explicationofthe Nature and Society creature and insure the safety of the traveler. However, nogift
of Faerie is great enough to justify trespassing in the Duergars home,
The Nuckelavee is a sea-creature that is human from and those who enter those homes do not live to tell the tale.
the waist up, but horse-like from the waist down. Although -Joaia of Tours, Explication of the Nature and Society
the idea of a seafaring centaur may strike some as laughable, of Faerie
this creature is anything but. Nuckelavee have the ability to The Duergar are hill-dwellers. They stand approxi-
frighten all but the most stout of heart for one simplereason: mately one or two feet tall, but otherwise resemble human
the creatures have no skin. Instead, they are a mess of pulsing men with long beards and piercing eyes. In later years, the
organs and throbbing blood, and the sight of such a creature Duergar will be known as the dwarves, a kindly and gent10
rising up out of the surfquite understandably terrifies anyone folk. But at this time, they are capricious and dangerc
creatures. Despite their small stature, the Duergar have
the strength of the strongest man and a fiery temper to
match it. They are fiercely territorial, and will strike out
at anyone who trespasses on their lands. The only defense
against their ire is to beg for their hospitality and offer a
gift in exchange.
Although it is not widely known, these creatures
prefer to dwell in barrows or burial mounds. They have a
great love for riches and relics and will protect them to the
death. Needless to say, they do not look upon grave
robbers favorably, and there is no gift in all of the land
that will redeem a robber in their eyes.
Attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5, Cha-
risma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2, Perception 3,
Intelligence 4, Wits 4
Abilities: Athletics 2, Brawl 4, Dodge 3, Melee 3, Stealth
5, Survival 4
Willpower: 6
Health Levels: OKx3, -1 x 2, -2 x 2, -3, -5, Incapacitated
Armor: 0
Attacks: Duergar are hand-to-hand brawlers. When faced
with an armed opponent, they rely on their small size to
hide and then attack from an unseen location. They also
carry small knives (Str + 1L).
Weaknesses: Duergar are intensely proud of their terri-
tory and find it difficult to harm those who show the
proper respect for it.
Tass: The Duergar themselves are not a source of Tass.
Instead, their power resides in their hordes. Therefore,
the greater the treasure is, the more powerful the Duergar
who guards it. In most cases, the treasure in question does
not have any magical powers, making it a rare source of
raw, unaltered Quintessence. Unfortunately, the trea-
sures must be utterly destroyed to release it. Duergar
hordes offer one to four points of Quintessence, depend-
ing on their contents.
slcoc+qm(wooO-wiFe)
Pether i Barckurlaby, an adherent to the Old Faith, tells
this story from his boyhood. A young woodcutter was once
accused of breaking his marriage vows. His bride claimed that
he left their bed late every night and did not return until the
break of dawn, and her brothers followed him one night, intent
on exacting revenge for their sistersbroken heart and tainted
honor. They found him with a creature that was covered in
bark from the waist down. Strangely, he appeared to be quite
happy and refwed to return to his home. The brothers nied to
make him return to the village. The creature, which they call
a Skoggra, was so enraged that she pierced them with her
fingers, which were pointed sharp like thorns, and took out
their eyes.
-Joaia of Tours, Explication of the Nature and Society
of Faerie
* . .. . . . -
The Skoggra, or Wood-Wives, can actually be quite
friendly with humans. I hey are all female and quite
pretty, although they appear wilcI. Their lower torso is
covered in bark, as well as leavesand flowers in the spring.
But their faces are beautiful, with eyes green as moss and
brown hair that twines wildly over their shoulders.Given
their appearance, it is not surprising that human men
might fall in love after simply sighting one of them.
It is surprising, however, that the Skoggra seem to
return the sentiment. If the suitor strikes their fancy, they
will make arrangements to meet with him in the woods,
usually after dark. The suitor grows progressively more
haggard looking, although this is largely due to the fact that
he gets no sleep at night, and has nothing to do with the
attentions of the Skoggraherself. In fact,she desiresnothing
more than to protect him and keep him for herself. However,
she is almost always blamed for her suitors illness, and
Skoggra are incredibly sensitive to betrayal. She will resist
anything and anyonewho tries to separateher fromher love,
going so far as to kill him rather than letting him go.
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Cha-
risma 4, Manipulation 4,Appearance 5, Perception 3,
Intelligence 2, Wits 3
Abilities: Brawl 1, Crafts 2, Expression 4,Seduction 5,
Stealth 3
Willpower: 8
Health Levels: OK, -1 x 2, -2, -3, -5, Incapacitated
Armor: The Skoggrasbark provides + 1B/+1Lprotection
to her lower torso.
Attacks: Thorny claws (Str +2L)
Powers: Allure (by spending a Willpower point, the
Skoggra can call a human to her, provided that she has
seen his face and heard his voice. The human must be able
to hear her voice for this power to work, and can resist
with a Willpower roll, difficulty 8)
Weaknesses: Skoggra are creatures of the forest, and are
sensitive to any worked metals. Although only cold iron
causes harm, as with other Fae creatures, other metals
such as steel or worked iron make them uncomfortable
and eager to retreat.
Tass: Steeping the bark of a Skoggra in a cup of clear
spring water results in a tea that, when consumed, pro-
vides two Quintessence points. This tea may have the
optional effect of making the mage in question wild and
jealous in demeanor, reflecting the Skoggras need for
complete and utter devotion. However, this is balanced
by the mages increased facility in the wilderness, reduc-
ing the difficulty of all Survival rolls by two.
OViNNilC
Although many household spirits are benign, provided
that they are given the proper respect, others are ill tempered
and hurtful. There is one speciesoffaerie that lives in barns and
stables. It has been known to lure owners inside the burn and
then bum it down. These creatures are impossible to reason
with, and the only recourse is to call upon agriest to have them
driven out.
-Joaia of Tours, Explication of the Nature and Society
of Faerie
 The Ovinniks, on first glance, appear to be very
similar to the Brownies (Dark Ages: Mage, p. 194).They
live in barns or stables and are particularly fond of ani-
mals. In fact, they are believed to have the ability to
converse with them in their own language. However, the
resemblance ends there. While the Brownies are gener-
ally helpful and become angry only when they feel they
are not appreciated, the Ovinniks are malicious creatures
through and through. While they will never do anything
to hurt an animal, humans are fair game.
Ovinniks tend to seek out men who mistreat their
animals, although they have been known to torment
good-hearted farmers just for the fun of it. At first, the
mishaps are mild and serve as warnings: bales of hay are
ripped apart and thrown about the barn, lanterns refuse to
light inside the barn but work fine outside, and gates
refuse to stay shut. If the warnings are not heeded, the
pranks quickly turn deadly.
In appearance, the Ovinnik is covered in fur and
looks like a stray cat or dog. This, of course, can lead to
quite a lot of trouble when one of the family members tries
to pet the doggy or feed it.
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3, Cha-
risma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 1, Perception 4,
Intelligence 3, Wits 5
Abilities: Animal Ken 4,Athletics 2,Brawl 3, Stealth 4
Willpower: 5
Health Levels: OK x 2, -1 x 2, -3,-5, Incapacitated
Armor: 0
Attacks: Like the Brownies, Ovinniks attack with ani-
mated or controlled household objects. They also have
claws (Str +2L).
Powers: Animate Objects (as the Brownie power; by
spending a Willpower point, the Ovinnik can
telekinetically control a number of objects equal to his
Wits rating)
Weaknesses: Ovinniks cannot tolerate harm coming to
any animal. If they become aware of any animal in
trouble, they will immediately stop what they are doing
and go to its rescue.
Tass: The teeth of the Ovinnik, when ground by hand
into a powder and inhaled, bestow three points of Quin-
tessence.The optional effect is quite extreme. Mages who
gain Quintessence from this method become quite bes-
tial, losing the abilityto speakor to walk upright. However,
their intelligence levels are not altered. Furthermore,
they acquire the ability to communicate with animals in
their own tongues.
FARi CRASUR mind had slipped . He said many preposterous things,
Most often, when the fair folk and mages come into
contact with each other, it is in a struggleover a powerful
faerie treasure. These objects are not only sources of
power and Quintessence for the mages, but are also
objects for study and learning. Thus, they are valuable
indeed, particularly for the Order of Hermes, who place
great value on such things. Of course, the Fae are not
inclined to simply hand over such objects to the mages,
and bartering is rarely an option, since the Fae do not
appear to be interested in what the mages have to offer.
This is a generality, of course. Legend does tell of a mage
of the Old Faith who gave a faerie queen possession of a
powerful cray. In exchange, the faerie gave the mage a Fae
treasure that healed the broken mind of the mages
daughter. Obviously, situations such as this are relatively
uncommon.
The following items are some treasures that mages
have sought or heard rumor of in tales about the Fae.
The SWORD OF Cbe CRU kiNCj
There is some argument over the existence of this
sword, known as Calad-Bog by some, Calibum by others,
and Excalibur by most. Some mages say that the sword
does not exist at all; others say that there are two different
swords, Caliburn and Excalibur. Regardless, the sword
has been attributed all manner of powers and abilities. It
is said that the bearer of the sword is unbeatable in battle,
that the sword offers its bearer powers of regeneration,
and that it strikes of its own accord. If that is not enough,
tales also say that the sword gives its bearer the ability to
detect lies or falsehoods, to inspire men more than the
tales of the greatest bard, and to call down lightning from
the skies.
Regardless of the true abilities of this treasure, it is
obviously highly sought by the mages. Rumor says that
the sword is in the hands of the great Fae sorceressknown
as the Lady in the Lake, and the mage who finds her will
also find the sword.
Ch CAULDRONOF ANNWN
One of the most coveted faerie treasures is the Caul-
dron of Annwn. Once located in the Underworld beneath
Glastonbury Tor, the Fae king Avallach hid it from
mortal sight after Morgan le Fey went against his wishes
and attempted to use the Cauldron on King Arthur.
According to rumor amongst the mages, the Cauldron
has the power to heal the sickness of any mortal sub-
merged in water within it. Many mages have dedicated
their entire lives to the search for the Cauldron. Evi-
dently, some of them got a little too close; there are tales
of quite a few mages who went looking for the Cauldron
of Annwn and never came back.
Recently, Master Theuderic of the Hermetic Order
claimed to have seen the Cauldron of Annwn. He had just
returned to his home in Constantinople after a year of
to hear his claim!3 until they realized that Theuderics
asserting that Av;illach himself had extended the olive
branch of peace I:o the mages through Theuderic and
made him the nevv ambassador from the Fae. Theuderic
also believes that he has a host of Fae guards, and he
speaks to thin air as if addressing the Fae. Most of his
cabalmates dismisi , Theuderic as a madman, although his
Beyond, in many parts, t h e sea is spread
So shallow t h a t it scarce conceals t h e sands
Lying beneath; a n d clusteringgrowth of weed
Okrtops t h e sea a n d checks its flood with wrack,
Whilecrowdsofsea-beastsswima t h w a r t t h e Main
A n d monstrous t e r r o r holds t h e straits in fear.
-Avienus, Ora Maritima

The information presented in this chapter is largely for

Storyteller use. I t clarifies some of the historically important
events taking place in the early 13thcentury to make them more
accessible for a Storytellers chronicles. For more information on
the geopolitical status 1230,check out Dark Ages: Europe.

CnRONICLS
There are a number of events and settings of the
era a Storyteller can use as the basis of a chronicle or
series of stories.
Cb MASSASA WAR
In 1022, one of the houses of the Order of Hermes,
House Tremere, betrayed the Order, betrayed its mem-
bers and betrayed its own magical practice by turning its
back on the ways of magic and embarking on a path of
study that resulted in the elders of the house becoming
vampires. The information was slow to get out. The
remaining human mages of House Tremere were infected
with the vampire curse or allowed to die off. If they made
any attempt to betray the secrets of House Tremere, they
were killed.
Secrets this damning are hard to keep, but members
of House Tremere, intensely disciplined (and isolated) as
they were, managed to keep their fall to vampirism
hidden for 177 years. The initial uproar caused by the
discovery was almost too shocking for the haughty mages
of the Order of Hermes to believe. The shock did not
come from the fact that Tremeres house would stoop so
low in its pursuit of power (which was a surprise only to
those who didnt know Tremere and his so-called inner
circle), but that he could accomplish such a complete
betrayal of the Order without any of the Orders much
vaunted wizards figuring out what had transpired. None
of the Hermetics seers, scryers, or angel-binders had
caught so much as a suggestive rumor of the fall of the
House of Tremere, and their embarrassment was un-
bounded, their shock paralyzing. It took two years for the
shock to coalesce into outrage.
In 1201 the entire Order of Hermes tried House
Tremere in absentia and declared a Wizard March, an
extraordinarilyrare joint martial effort by Hermetic mages
of all houses, with the intended outcome to be the utter
destruction of the perfidious House Tremere. As with so
many things, the Hermetic mages launched into the
attack with full certainty that, vampiric power or not,
there would be no standing before the might of the
arrayed Houses of Hermes.
They were wrong.
The expected quick crumblingof HouseTremere never
came to pass, for a variety of reasons. From their extended
researchesona fewCapturedTremerevampires,the Hermetics
had ascertained full well that the process that turns a mage
into a vampire denies him access to either the Modus or the
Forma of true Hermetic magic. What they were yet to learn,
however, is that Tremere and his cronies had turned the
power of their undead blood to devastatingeffect.
tion to this thaumaturgy, the Tremere also pr
Ceoris, their Transylvanian stronghold, with terrify
oyles, an array of undead allies and potent thauma
lards. The first wave of the Wizard March, full of
ighteous rage and hubris, crashed upon Ceoris like
upon a cliff face. For every vampire killed by Hermetic spells,
at least one mage fell to the fangs, claws or magicof their
vampiric enemies.
The cause of the Hermetic 0 ively
hindered by the location of House TtLLilGLL oLLvLlaLiold.
Travel over the mountainous Transylvanian landscape
was precarious, even with magic, and there were more
foes than just the foul Tremere stalking those lands, and
they were happy to turn the mages prideful strike into a
rich source of food, wealth and treasures.
AS CbiNGS SCAN0
In 1230, the Massasa War is still a hot conflict for the
Order of Hermes. The wizards rage and sense of betrayal is
little cooled after 29 years. Not only do many Hermetic
Houses have factions devoted to carrying out the sentence
against House Tremere, but also the Fellowship is unusually
eager to pull in the assistance of other mages, regardless of
Fellowship. It is not unheard of for whole war cabals to come
together to strike against the vampires, though even tal-
ented mixed cabals have their hands full when dealing with
fiends marshalling such a wide range of magical and strategic
defenses.
ceoRis
Once the grandest chantry of Tremeres House, Ceoris
now sits on the eastern edge of the known world like a
festering wen. Its location is suspiciously hard to remember;
its defenders are violent and, literally, bloodthirsty beyond
comprehension, and its magical defenses are formidable.
The vast majority of those who take their fight to the
enemys territory are doomed to failure.
Storytellers wishing to send their players against
such enemies are advised to pick up a copy of House of
Tremere for the complete history, layout and horror of
the vampires stronghold.
ViGNNA
Once the site of a powerful chantry of the Houses of
Hermes, Vienna has become anathema to Hermetic mages
and only slightly less daunting to mages from the other
Mystic Fellowships.
The vampire curse fell most heavily on the Hermetic
magi of Vienna when Etrius, one of the ranking corrupted
members of House Tremere, saw fit to kill, and subsequently
make into vampires, all of the magi in the Vienna chantry.
From that day forward,the city became particularly lethal
to mages when the sun went down. The Tremere vampires
know well how to recognize a mage, even one from a different
Fellowship.Owingto the very real threat they pose even to the
powerful vampire thaumaturgists, mages are considered par-
ticularlydangerousenemiesand marked for deaththe moment
thoJvo e n n t t n r l hv thhp
Tr
h pr
n hpr
hnr their allies.
p
:d against House Tremere
intry in any city is consid-
iised by vampirism (or in
and all members of that
 For the moment its possible, though not entirely
likely, that a cabal of magi may fZln into a Cabal of
Craftmasons going about on CrIKide. Depending on the
behavior and approach to magic, the encounter
might even be Pleasant. Then again, the list of magical
praxes to whichthe Craftmasons take exception to
get a little longer with every passing year.. ..
For more on the Craftmasons and their approach to
magic, see the Appendix.
iNFRNALiSCS AND NFANbi
The Dark was a time Of great despair and
horror. Plague, famine and war were constant compan-
ions to the common folk, while comfort and contentment
were strangers to all but royalty and the thickly clotted
top Strata Of the Church* many poor turned to
the Church to look away from the ubiquitous suffering of
life, there are a few who look in other, darker directions.
In the year 1230, making pacts with demons is a
practice that has yet to reach the heights Of popularity
that it will reach in the following three centuries. The
lore of demons, Banes and other twisted spirits is not as
widespread as it will become.
Butthere are those who know and spread it and those
who benefit from the favors of demons and the forces of
darkness.In times as pious as these, obviously,one cannot
simply announce ones preference for dark masters and
expect to be ignored (such a speaker would need to wait
seven centuries for that degree of openness). It is true that
there are those forces that make bargains with mortals -
and lay claim to immortal souls-in exchange for power,
but they are hardly exclusive to the Christian (or even
monotheistic) world.
Demons have their Own agendas*and
to Parlay with of consequence*Those
are willing to serve a foul, dark master are rewarded, but
demons are relatively picky about whose services they
engage (See Those would Make Bargains Dark
Ages: Mage, p. 177.)
Demons Prey On the weak-wi11ed and power-hungry
by offering them demonic investments (the twisted abili-
ties of the infernal granted by the will of a demon in order
0 lure more COnvertS 0 the war against humanity) to
those talented Commoner folk who serve them well (and
who promise to serve them even better).
Demon~ iinvestments
c are hardly a match for the real
dynamic PO werof a well-trained mage, but they do im-
plcJJ+La
c
c
-
..
.
.
Lllc Lummon man quite handily. The truly devoted
CA
servant of Hell can accumulate enough investments from
one or more infernal masters that she actually becomes a
threat to a true mage. Such adherents of damntion are
rare, but they make themselves even more dangerous by
surrounding themselves with dupes and cats-paws.
While Hells servants (typically called infernalists)
Will make use of Commoner thralls, their true delight
comes in twisting the souls of mages.
NeFANbi
The souls of mages, it would seem, are particularly
delightful to twist and corrupt. They obviously make
better semitors than does a Commoner. That goes a long
way to explaining why there is a cult intent on corrupting
mages. This cult worships the Infernal, the absence of all
divinity. What little is known about them was compiled
by the Ahl-i-Batinin a text called Sebil-el-MafouhWhash,
Path of the Voracious Beast. It was later translated into
Latin as the Malleus Nefundorum, a text familiar to most
Hermetics and some of the better-educated Messianic
Voices. Members of the cult described in this book are
called llNefandi.99
By infernal temptation, the cult works together to
bring new blood into the fold by, essentially, turning a
mage?s soul inside and marking him forever as one
whohas turned from the ways of humanity.
None of the six Mystic Fellowships are immune to
temptation or malice. Like any tool,magic can be wieldedfor
weal or woe. At various times throughouthistov, members
of all six Fellowships have been lured into aligning them-
selves with the forces of hatred, horror and Hell, and some
have bargained away their free will or their immortal soulsto
get a firm grip on power that otherwise would not have been
theirs. k l o w is a brief explicationof the corruptedpaths of
each of the Fellowships.
Ahlci.Bati.: There was a time when the mages of the
Ahl-i-Batin believed themselves to be so pure as to be
incorruptible.Most now know that the first of the terrible
DevilKingsofArabywas who went willingly
- arrogantly - into the hands of his corruptors. Fallen
Batinibelieve that there can benoUnityuntilthe
run its course: Once the sun goes out and the ocean stillsand
all that is living dies, then and only then can there be true
Unity, and the few malevolent Ahl-i-Batin do what
theycan to hastenthe coming of that day.
Messianic Voices: There are those holy magi who fall
prey to the baser, more judgmental nature of their religion.
Membersof the priesthood,in particular,are grantedinsight
into the often-arbitrarypolicies of the Church, even of the
pope himself.Suchknowledgecan render even some of the
pious cynicaland call into question the true noble ends
Church. Taking in such confusion can cause a priest to ask
dangerousquestions. to say which angelstruly have
our best interests in mind? Did not Lucifer, after all, help
mankind get knowledge that had previouslybeen withheld?
Are not Sammael, Azrael, Abaddon and Apollyon just as
much archangels as Gavri-el or Mikha-el?Once a Voices
faith in the church and knowledge of theology of the
Church are shaken, its very easy for his faith to be shaken
and for fallen angels to worm their way into his good graces.
Old Faith: The virtues of the Old Faith can be turned
on their heads just as the virtues of the Messianic Voices.
A n old witch whoplaces more emphasis on stretchingher
already expanded life out another 20 years by sacrificing
the young betrays all four of the pagan virtues -vitality,
courage, honor and generosity-in one fell swoop. Such
deeds can come from simple weakness of character, but
there are those foul spirits who would be all too happy to
lure a powerful old witch down the Path of Screams until
she became one of the Old Faiths few barubbi.
Order of Hemes: The wily old Hermetics value
knowledge -and sometimes power -over almost every-
thing else. That, by itself, is weakness enough that a
sufficiently beguiling demon, offering knowledge that is
rare, forbidden or secret, can get many Hermetics -
especiallythe very political ones -to agree to just about
any form of treachery or debasement. The pursuit of
knowledge, after all, is entirely amoral, and only the timid
sheep of the Church waste their breath talking about such
quaint notions as good and evil.Three centuries will
yet pass before the best known thrall to knowledge -Dr.
Johannes Faust - imperils his soul by bargaining with
demons, and while he was neither the first nor the last
Hermetic to attempt such a bargain, it was his ill fortune
to have nosy friends who wrote books.
Spirit-Talkers: All Spirit-Talkers deal with the
ephemeral, and many are often accused of dealing with
foul spirits. In truth, very few Spirit-Talkers deal much
with malevolent spirits, but there are definitely times
when it happens. These twisted shamans, called Vision
Mockers, deal exclusively with the spirits of madness,
blight, disease and death. They send spirits to vex and
possess their enemies. Their touch is blighted and their
once-sacred chants fester with disease and devastation.
Valdaermen: There is no Valdaerman who doesnt
know how the reign of Odin comes to its end. The coming
of Ragnarok is accepted as inevitable. In the Norse view,
even the gods are subject to the whims of fate. Conse-
quently, there are some Valdaermen who take exception
to serving on what they see as the losing side. They
bargain with entities they identify as agents of Loki, the
cunning god -giants or svurtalfs. Such behavior embod-
ies the very worst stereotypes of mages held by Norse
culture. Consequently, any Valdaerman found to bargain
with such entities is immediately declared Skogurmuthr
and sentenced to full outlawry. No Norseman or
Valdaerman of any standing will associate with such a
perfidious cur, and any who do are liable to receive the
same sentence.
Cb CRuSAOeS ANO cbek
AFCRMACb
By 1230, the Crusades were largely over. The Fourth
Crusade,whichendedin 1204withthefallofConstantinople,
had changed the nature of the movement. Public sentiment
for the Crusades wavered. Thereafter, the driving. force
behind most forays was state or Churchpolitics, not popular The departure of so many Christian men eased some
zeal. The sheer numbers of men killed in failed attempts to of the pressure felt by many non-Christians, of whatever
defend or regain the Holy Land left many Christian coun- stripe, mages included. In some places, the relative pau-
tries short on manpower. While the 13* century sees more city of Christians made it easier for non-Christian mages
expeditions into the Holy Lands, they are much smaller to find each other and interact with less fear of reprisal
campaigns. While thedisastrousChildrensCrusade(1212), from the Christian majority.
the Fifth Crusade (1218-21)and the Sixth Crusade (1246- Not all of the Crusades ramifications were so conve-
54), as well as numerous smaller military forays still took nient. Criminals took to the roads, and brigands often took
place over the 131hcentury, there were no more multina- control of small territories that could not be properly policed
tional Crusades directed at dominating the Holy Land. -particularly those that passed through dense woods. Any
Egypt was deemed the center of Muslimpower and the many group proceeding through such terrain was fair game for
small military expeditions of the 13 century were largely thugs (although in many of the forestsof the Dark Medieval,
directed there. These expeditionswere the last gasp of the thugs would be the least of a partys worries).
crusading fervor. That fervor would be put to rest entirely
with the advent of the Mongols and Mamelukes, whose
ibeRiANReCONquiSCA
armies were so vast that they dwarfed the small Western Not only in the Holy Lands were Christians warring
with the Saracens. The Christians in northern Iberia
were constantly seeking to oust the Moorish invaders to
In 12309 the recent expedition against the
Land is Frederick IIs foray into Jerusalemin1229. His letter to the south.The cities of Moorish Iberia were among the
few rare gems of the world. Granada, Seville and
Henry111OfEnglandmakescleartheresultsofthatexpedition.
Toledo were cultured cities and centers of learning and
What the letter did not show was that his successdid not come
medicine. In 1230, the Moors are not feeling especially
frommilitary action,but fromdiplomacywith al-Kamil.After
Fredericks win, Jerusalem would remain in Christian hands
hard pressed by the Christian north. Christians in the
13thcentury also referred to the Moors as LLMOriSCOS,, and
until it was again taken by the Saracens in 1244.
Mudejares. They are not recent immigrants to Iberia.
The Moors first took the southern coast of Spain in 71 1,
In 1230, the Holy Lands are under the control of and they spent many subsequent decades extending their
ChristianEurope.Fredericksnegotiations with theSaracens territory north. This didnt sit well with the various small
granted Europe control of the key spiritual cities of Jerusa- Christian kingdoms to the north, but there was little they
lem, Nazareth and Bethlehem, as well as a handful of other could do to repel the Moors once they became en-
sites important for the Christians. Some Messianic Voices trenched. In 1230, the Moors are relatively comfortable
are there seeking relics or making pilgrimages, but for the and control a fair amount of Iberian territory, although
most part, the Holy Lands appeal most strongly to the less than they once held. Not for centuries will the
Churchs more dogmatic and less contemplative members. Christians make much progress, but in the interim, there
Many mage members of the Knights Templar are there, as is no shortage of hot-blooded conflict between the two
are a great many Inquisitors (for more information on what groups.
kind Of threat they might pose to a cabal of mages, see Dark Cb SiLk ROAO
Ages: Inquisitor).
The HolyLmds mightbe aparticularlywildplaceto set A t its greatest extent, the Silk Road ran from W a n
a chronicle of Dark A ~ M~~~ ~ because
~ : of the mix of in China to Rome (via such cities as Damask, Baghdad
people. While Europe controls these sites at this time, and Ankara). It was, for centuries, the main route by
Saracenswho wish to visit for their own spiritualreasons are which ideas, PhilosoPhY and, of course* merchandise
allowed. Ironically, the Holy Lands are some of the few passed between the East and the West.
places in the Dark Medieval where Messianic Voices and In 1230, the Silk Road is not particularly well estab-
Ahl-i-Batin might be found interacting peacefully. lished in Europe yet, but with the rise of the Mongol
empire (subsequentto the Dark Ages time frame by a few
CRUSAbe CONSqUNCes
decades), the demand for exotic substances from the far
The Crusades had serious repercussions back in the east, especially silk and spices, increase dramatically.
lands that sent soldiers. With the God-fearing Christians
That said, allowing the Silk Road to reach Europe
marching hundreds Of to war with the Saracens,
earlier than it actually did could have pronounced
men whose piety moved them to throw away benefits for a chronicle. Characters following the Silk
abandoned wives, families and entire estates. Not infre-
Road could a range of peoples like they,ve never
quently during the age Of Crusades, kings leave seen. European mages still find the subtle Ahl-i-Batin
their lands behind, safe in the hands of regents.
exotic; the weird and hedonistic magic of the Dionysian
The net Of these behaviors is that the God*
mages of Greece and the blatant displays favored by the
fearing men from much Of Europe marched Off and left Taftani (the extraordinarily bellicose desert magi of far
their families and Property in the hands of old, weak or Araby) would expose the travelers to more aspects oftheir
unchristian men. world than thev could otherwise have imagined.
 Even if the Storytelleropts to take libertieswith medi-
eval history, however, travel anywhere is not the light
undertaking it would become centuries later.

In the Dark Medieval, very few people have traveled

more than a few miles from the village in which they were
born. The lives the people of the time led were incredibly
truncated by our standards. Calling them provincial only
begins to hint at the degree of ignorance and xenophobia
prevalent at the time.
Travel was considered a privilege of noblemen and
bishops; the common man did not do it and was not
educated in such a way that he would even be inclined
to try.
That said, magi travel a great deal more than Com-
moners, for reasons both in and out of their control.
Some magi are driven from the villages of their birth
when their magical abilities show themselves. This is the
lot of many Spirit-Talkers. The increasing strength of
Christianity drives others from their homes in their
region. Again, Spirit-Talkers are the primary victims of
this phenomenon, but many followers of the Old Faith
and many Valdaermen must leave their homes for similar
reasons. While many find the new faith to be comforting,
it is not an option for those whose very souls are tied to the
old ways.
Magi travel for happier reasons too, of course. Many
realize that their gifts far exceed the options their tiny
village can afford them and make their ways to cities or to
the courts of kings where they may catch the eye of some
noble with their skills at magic. Others go in search of lore
that they need to increase their understanding.. . or their
power. A solitary mage may also go in search for others of
his kind in order to learn more about himself. If one has
only learned from an aged mentor, one may not have the
full story behind his own Fellowship. Alternatively, a
more established mage may go in search of a worthy
apprentice, in order to pass down the wisdom she has In the Dark Medieval,the Arabs had been making map
acquired in her years of magical study. and improving the art of cartography for over four centuries
Magi also travel in search of great magical treasure.
Wonders abound in the world, but theyre not likely to Arabic cartogra
find their way into the mages possession if hes content to round and, furt
sit at home growing turnips. Great books filled with laying out lines of latitude and longitude to help mi
magical lore, enchanted spears, divine armor, magical of the big picture. The greatest centers of Islamic
crays, faerie portals and the like all exist just out of sight even had atlasesof the known world that intrepidar
of the average Commoner, but a mage can find them, trained travelers had painstakingly compiled. T
provided he makes the effort to seek them out.
In the Dark Medieval, gaining magical power is easily
as much about seizing it from its hidden coves as it is about
contemplating arcane formulae in a warded sanctum.
Travel, then, is unavoidable for most magi. Luckily for
them, their magic grants them certain advantages that
Commoners dont have. prestigious patrons - kings, generals and the occasiona
bishop - who could pay them to create such a wonder
Merchants had not yet come into power, and trade was not
yet a real competitor to royal power throughout most of
Europe, which remained largely feudal.
Maps, therefore, fell into three categories: insanely
expensive, shockingly bad and completely wrong.
The insanely expensive maps were surprisingly accu-
rate, at least in a general way. Even the best maps were
drawn as circles, and the concept of drawing a map to
scale was still unknown. The best maps of the time were
made by Arabic cartographers, and generally showed
small regions of the world and did so with a vague nod
toward the most general senseof the relationship between
the main cities of a region.
Shockingly bad maps were somewhat more available,
being done more often by (and for) educated Europeans.
Thesemapswerentnecessarily inaccurate in the more densely
populated regions of the map, and they could therefore get
one from Paris to Toulouse, for example, or from Rome to
Salzburg. Such maps are more likely to be wrong the farther
the land they represent is from the beaten track. In 1230there
are relatively good maps of England showing, in very general
terms, the lay of the land and the roads connecting the major
towns and cities. While still not easy to navigate from, these
maps are at least moderately useful. On the other hand, a map
of the northem expanses of the Holy Roman Empire will be
extraordinarily hard to come by and enragingly inaccurate.
Maps falling in the third category,completely wrong,
were generally not even meant to be maps in the first
place, but were symbolic diagrams illustrating how to get
from one state to another. Many were based on biblical
passages (maps charting out the relative placement of
Heaven, Hell and the world in between were not all that
uncommon), while others were complex representations
of the alchemists states of being as represented
pseudogeographically. A rare few of these completely
wrong maps werent completely wrong at all, but mapped
a non+physicalgeography that a Commoner couldnt
comprehend. The Ahl-i-Batin were the masters of such
things, mapping out the way to such spiritual destinations
as Mt. Qaf, the mountain at the center of the world.
Ironically, mages may have more use for these wrong
maps than for the expensive (and only vaguely helpful)
maps made by the European cartographers of the time.
FOOD, WACR AN0 SbeLCeR
Provided a traveler is willing to accept what she gets,
she should be able to find the bare necessities one way or
the other. In civilized areas, its generally possible to find
at least one home that will give shelter to the traveler. In
places with large churches or monasteries, the Church is
often the best bet for hungry strangers still on the road as
the sun begins to slip behind the horizon. These churches,
many times, will require the traveler to speak the Lords
Prayer before granting hospitality as a means of discem-
ing Christian from heathen.
Travelers in the wild wont find hospitality or food
and drink quite so readily available, although those with
a few dots of the Survival Ability will have no problem
finding something to eat, though whether its appealing
or not remains questionable. In one area, there may be
enough fat hares or squirrels that a traveler can feast,
while elsewhere he may subsist on fare not only less
savory, but rotten or moldy. Denizens of Dark Medieval
Europe were more accustomed than we to eating what-
ever was around. We might toss a loaf of bread that has
one small patch of mold on it, while a hungry peasant in
Medieval France would be much less picky.
Characters with two or more dots of Herbalism,
Survival or Hearth Wisdom can also safely tell whole-
some mushrooms from poisonous toadstools. If characters
eat mushrooms without being certain of their safety, the
Storyteller should at least make a roll to see if the
character inadvertently consumed poisonous toadstools.
A character consuming such foul delicacies takes [lo -
Stamina] Health Levels of bashing damage.
Traveling without a clear knowledge of where one
can obtain shelter is tricky business, although anyone
savvy enough to know even a small amount of magic
should have some means of creating at least a lean-to.
This may keep out the elements, although it wont do
much against wolves, bears or armed opponents (unless
augmented with magic).
For longer stays in the wild, the traveler will want to
build a small cabin of some sort, requiring either Survival
3 or some other means of understanding the basics of
building such a structure (Crafts for carpentry, or Aca-
or architecture).
magical methods of staying alive in the wilder-
pp. 115-116.
ipitality
kily for travelers in civilized regions, the tradition
:ality makes it likely that a traveler will be able to
1 and lodging of some sort. Despite the general
n of strangers, there was a tradition of hospitality
even in the Dark Medieval that most travelers could rely
on were they far from home. This tradition was passed on,
in part, through stories. The Old Faith, Valdaermen and
many Spirit-Talkers know the tales of various gods, from
Odin to Zeus, walking the world in mortal guise and
rewarding those who show hospitality and punishing
those who do not. The traditions of hospitality varied a
bit, but the basic core of the practices were in place all
across Europe.
The rules of hospitality applied both to guests as well
as to hosts, and a guest who stays too long is just as much
in breach of the traditions as the host who lets his guest
go hungry.
Despite the old tales and the cultural expectations, a
traveler in the Dark Medieval might find it difficult to find
a place willing to offer hospitality, particularly to an entire
cabal of odd-looking mages. A village on a main thorough-
fare is likely to have an inn of some sort that provides
hospitality to guests for a fee. Smaller towns, however, are
less likely to have an inn and characterswill need to godoor-
to-door asking for hospitality. Individual villages will vary a
great deal with regard to how hospitable the natives are.
Those who live in areas infested with vampires, for example,
arevery unlikely to grant shelterto a traveler,especially if he
shows up after sundown or carries any sort of box large
enough to hold a body.
For the host, the tradition of hospitality means:
Aguest,oncetakenin ,-..- -L- -:-.-- .C--A--A.------
lllUbL ut:g l v c l l 1
- allu W a L C l
The Dark Medieval world was scary. Ignorance makes
people fearful of everything -and everyone -that is not
familiar. Strange customs, strange appearance and ac-
cented speech are each enough, by themselves, to scare
inhabitants of all but the most cosmopolitan cities. The
more landlocked a place, the more insular and provincial
it was likely to be. Any port city was likely to accept any
stranger with good coin, while a hamlet reachable only by
a narrow road, populated solely by 10 extended families,
is likely to have a large folklorepertaining to superstitions
about strangers, including, but not limited to:
Anyone whose eyebrowsmeet in the center is a werewolf.
A man with long fingernailsis probably an agent of the devil.
Vampires (and sometimes werewolves) have penta-
grams on the palms of their hands.
Place salt on the threshold of a home to prevent evil
from entering.
If you want a witch to leave your house and never come
back, throw salt at her as she's leaving.
Cross yourself to prevent a witch from harming you.
A witch will never come under a door where a horse-
shoe has been nailed.
If you want a stranger to leave town, drive an iron nail
into his footprint and he'll leave and will never be able to
make himself come back.
- 11C W l l U C d l 1 1 C ~ L l l C L U U L l l U l ~ l l d l l U IUU
W

The host is responsikile for the guest's safety. Not
only is it the lowest and most:vile form of perfidy for a host
to harm his guest, he is also obligated to see to it that no
harm befalls the guest from any source.
The host is obligated tc)give aid to the sick or injured,
and provide some manner of clothing to the naked.
Hospitality need not Ibe extended to known crimi-
nals, the excommunicated or those who have taken
unfair of advantage of a host's' Lriosp~raury
L-.-L-I:--.L-C
uerorc. nuepenu-
will always recognize a witch.
A hagstone is a stone with a hole in it
and homes to keep away witches or hags a
on the bedpost, it protects the sleeper fro
ride one's chest and causing a nightmar
stable, it prevents witches from riding ho
exhaustion.
While these folk beliefs are little mor
3

ing on the particular region of Europe, runaway wives (or decide that some of 1:hem are completely real. Even if
slaves), a son who fails to look after his father, and anyone they're not real, they may be reflections of actual hedge '

who steals from his family may also be refused hospitality. magic rotes that have,.,L,,o w L L L L I L w wL ," A;,.,
vLLII uLoLmered by the
For his part, the giieEt hir nhlinorinnr nf hi, nwn C
Y.."L LlU" """~UC'""" U L lll"
ommon
"..LL
folk of an area, and it might be in tll e mage's best
when accepting the hospitality of another. iinterest to experiment with them.
Never consume so much that vour host is left 139
WA'CRWAYS
hungry or thirsty. 1 1 .
warer-oasea travel1 was common in 1230. Warfa
T V ? . . 1

Safeguard your hcISt'S well-being as diligently as he and trade were both carried out on the waterways
safeguards yours. Europe on a variety of vessels. Rivers and lakes we
If sick or injured, 1nake yourself as light a burden as comfortable territory for boats, relatively speaking, b
possible, and once you aire recovered, reward your host's ocean travel was a much more daunting propositi0n.
care generously and wit1h gratitude. High seas, inescapable storms and the weird and dange'r-
Do not stay beycmd the initial period of offered ous creatures of the oceans rendered them terrifying to 2ill 1
.A

hospitality. If you are innposing on a host, stay no more but the bravest (or most foolhardy) souls. Ships rarelY
than one night unless aisked to stay longer. If invited to went much beyond sight of the coast (though once use of
stay on beyond the initial.1 Lc11113 ul
-5-1,
C,..._" ,....,...,.,.--- c -u,...-- -1.-
L l l C dg:Ic;CIlLclLL, U I l C L L u [ne ~ o m p 1 5 51oecomes
.____._.
more common in . - lLL- J - - ~ l
iacer aecaaes,
help the host with work or with money in exchange for ships will be less dependent on visual navigation). A
the extended welcome. cabal needing to make swift passage from one coastal arc
to another might be inclined to save themselves the Many ships were propelled by long oars, although the
bumps of land traveI, provided they can pay the fee and Norse and, in particular, the Arabs, had learned to use
stand the cramped quarters of the small ships. sails with some precision. A cabal of mages needing to
In the south, particularly in the Mediterranean, the make a cheap water voyage could do SO by signing on as
waterways are largely controlled by the Saracens, whose Oarsmen (although those with Stamina ratings under 4
greater mastery of the compass and sail technology grants may have Problems).
them superiority in speed, maneuverability and navigation. A Storyteller running a ship-based chronicle might
The culture of traders and sailors might be more ame-want to do some research to determine what kind of vessel
nable to odd types like mages. Sailon are accustomed to a the characters are on. ISthe cabal sailing on a nef?A cog?
wide range of cultures and lack the xenophobic and provin-A Romanesque galley?A Byzantine di-~mon?Attention
to this degree of detail isnt necessary, but it can add Some
cia1 attitudes of their landlocked brethren. While sight of a
Norseman, a Saracen and a man of the cloth naveling interesting verisimilitude to a chronicle.
together might unnerve the inland yokels, it wouldnt even Norse and English ships, crafted to withstand the
rigors of the North Sea, were exceptionally sturdy. They
cause a sailor to raise an eyebrow. On the contrary,some of
could survive a hard beaching. The galleys of the Mediter-
the sailors customs might make the cabal a little nervous.
ranean, on the other hand, were rounder and less solidly
constructed, but more maneuverable due to the shape of
Ships across Europe varied a great deal depending on
their hulls.
the region they served. The Norse used longships based
Ships made in the north had one block sail, while
on designs invented by their Viking ancestors. For trade
on most European riverways, the straight-sterned cog was Mediterranean ships, even in 1230, had as many as
the more common ship and could carry a respectable three masts full of smaller sails (again, for increased
amount of merchandise for trading in its large hull.
Further south, in the Mediterranean, the galley, an up- While the specifics varied a great deal, most medi-
dated version of an old R~~~~ design, was the chief eval trading ships had one level below deck where either
water-faring vessel, although Some based on Byzantine cargo Or Passengers were stored. O n the more Primitive
ships were also relatively common. galleys, there would also need to be oarsmen.
 Valdaermen may summon a fog using a conjunc-
fect with Fara 3 and Forlog 3.
imon Storm
Ahl-i-Batin can pull the threads of fate to bring
m (or other similar event) using Al-Anbiya 4.
sianic Voices magi can bring up a storm using
14.
Old Faith storm witches can generate a storm
:power of Winter 3.
Order of Hermes wizards can whip the elements into
a frenzy through the power of Vires 4.
Spirit-Talkers cant really control the weather di-
rectly to summon storms, but by using Chieftain 3 and
Wise One 3 they can order the storm spirits to bedevil an
enemy craft.
Valdaermen are also at a disadvantage at summoning
storms directly, but Hjaldar 3 allows the mage to channel
the elements for war, and that includessummoning storms.
The alternative method that a Norse mage might employ
is Fara 5, but thats a much more complex way of obtain-
ing the same result.
Call Wind
These spells arent necessarily to call a literal wind,
but to speed a mages boat while its at sea. Some of these
spellsmay call a wind, while others simply urge the mages
vessel on more directly.
The Ahl-i-Batin can call upon Al-Anbiya 4 to have
fate favor them with strong winds and calm seas. Alterna-
tively, the mage can simply create a large portal through
space using A1-Hajj 4,although such an approach takes a
great many more successes.
Messianic Voices can speed their travel by appealing
to Gavri-el, the angel of motion, to push the boat toward

Magi of the Old Faith can use Spring 3 to call a wind

to propel them through water. In conjunction with a
C R A W L MACjiC Winter 2 spell to calm waves, the mage is able to make
Different Mystic Fellowships can expedite their own particularly good time.
travel or inhibit their opponents using a variety of differ- Order of Hermes magi can summon a wind using
ent spells. Below are a number of different meteorological Vires 3.
effects a mage might want to conjure up while at sea. Spirit-Talkersare again at the mercy of the spirits. A
Create Fog shaman on good terms with the local wind spirits can
An Ahl-i-Batin mage can create fog using Al-Layl3. simply use Wise One 3, otherwise hell need to use a
conjunctional spell making use of Chieftain 3 and Wise
Messianic Voices magi can bring up a fog using a
One 3.
conjunctional spell using Repha-el 2 and Uri-el 2.
Valdaermen are perhaps the best off when it comes to
The weather witches of the Old Faith have perhaps
speeding travel since they have an entire Pillar dedicated
the easiest time of creating a fog. They need use nothing
to it. With Far,a 2 the rune-singer
- can increase the speed
more than Winter 2.
of his vessel directly.
.rectly. Better yet, Swift Passage is a spe-
Order of Hermes vvizardscan bring fog using Vires 3. cialty for Valdaermen magi, so +
,PtrnPrn mn; P n Le.,,, 1;lrel.,
theyre &L,+
likely to get
4-n +,,
better
Spirit-Talkers use Trickster (to Createa fog in the results with such spells than many of their brethren magi.
mind of the target) or \Vise One 3 to call the spirits offog.
 The superstitious terrorize us with t h e i r petty, pa-
gan fears. Oh t h a t o u r princes would c e a s e t o lend
e a r t o such p r a t t l e a n d instead commission t h e work
of Man, who is verily t h e model of t h e Universe.
-Josephus Valentio, a r c h i t e c t a n d mason

s
 Grimgoth, Mistridge
wouldnt even have been
c h i p p e d , m u c h less
toppled, and the
Craftmasons would have
been annihilated, n o t hailed
as deliverers and heroes.
 Cb pRSNC
Twenty years later, the Craftmasons continue
t o pursue t h e same agenda. They are becoming
somewhat dogmatic, however, about what kinds
of magic they feel it is proper for any mage t o use.
There are even arguments within the order that
t h e use of magic, in and of itself, is a questionable
The Craftmasons have 33 degrees of initiation
in their order. There is, at the apex of the hierar-
chy, one 331ddegree Craftmason, who is a mage of
no Small Power. T h e Young organization has many
mxnbers in its lower 12 degrees - those who've
joined t h e Craftmasons since its success a t 1
MiStridge-bUt the upper echelons o f t h e organi-

-
practice. Certain members with strong religions zation remain sparsely Populated. Because the
leanings support this view wholeheartedly. group is trying to maintain its pyramidal structure,
Throughout the kingdoms of ~ ~ ~ the i group's
~ leadership
~ i is ~ currently
~ allowing
, tal-
France, Aragon, Castile and much of the Holy ented and driven c;
Roman Empire, t h e Craftmason ethic is meet- degrees much faster t h a n it would really like. This
ing with surprising approval -both from is only one of t h e subtle strains o n the
t h e Commoners and a surprising A

number of mages (particularly A

among the Gabrielites, a A
reactionary faction of A
Messianic Voices, 1
a n d t h o s e mage
Knights Templar
who saw with their
own eyes the kind of
I' \\ - /a

damage t h a t t h e
Saracen mages could
cause w i t h u n -
c h e c k e d use of
magic).
It's entirely pos-
1
sible that characters
~

could run into a ~

Craftmason cabal, particularly ~

if they have a tendency t o use vio-

-4
lent, flashy or even unnecessary magic. ~

While Craftmason magic still bears a strong

resemblance to alchemy and the more focus-based
magic of the Hermetics, the Storyteller is free t o
determine how much it has changed from the
main Hermetic Pillars in Dark Ages: Mage.
ORqANiZA'CiON
T h e Craftmason's organization still bears a
strong resemblance t o its original organizational
model developed a thousand years prior when
they were a small sect of geomancers and philoso-
pher-architects in Rome. Their long history as
part of Hermetic House Ex Miscellanea rendered
their hierarchy a bit more rigid t h a n it was in
centuries past, but the truth is that the organiza-
tion is and has always been patterned after the
shape of the pyramids of Egypt.
recently devised Art
many Of the new members who view any
magica1 training wit
phiLosopbp
Although the Craftmason philosophy and
approach t o magic continues t o have a great deal
in common
passes the Hermet
Craftmasons fade away, replaced with entirely
different views as '
increasing OPPosition t o t h e Order (and all other
Fe'lowships, for that matter)+
T h e Craftmasons believe in binding magic
into practical creations- buildings, devices, tooh
and t h e like -as a way of sanctifying them as well

d
I
z I .-
that is cast with a wave of t h e hand or a briefly
Stemming from their philosophies, t h e magic
spoken incantation (instead of being built or con-
of the Craftmasons is based o n being able t o create
structed) does n o t sit well with the Craftmasons.
a n item in accord with the highest principles of
It reeks t o them of arrogance, and they believe it
ancient knowledge. A building, for example, can
has a dangerous, potentially corrupting influence
be built in such a way - in just the right location
on magi who use it, Magical objects that are forged
or handcrafted have a utility and a soul that keeps
t h e mage from growing too arrogant or out of
touch with the necessarily practical nature of

While the official Hermetic view is that ma

t h a t pays n o attention to

tial strike - th
covenant - has

the covenant t h a

man can understand it, the

olling Aura. They may

wonders it provides.
T h e Craftmasons remain firm i n their convic-
tions (or, their narrow-minded, dogmatic beliefs,
as Some put it), however, and while they fail to
balance magic and rationality (always erring o n
t h e side of rationality), they feel themselves t o be
n moral high ground with their position and they
ave n o interest in debating or discussing their
pproach, especially n o t with acknowledged magi.
sWW5~eQ
CRAiCs
Attributes: Intelligence, Manipulation, Stamina
Abilities: Academics, Crafts, Linguistics, Medicine
Backgrounds: Allies, Library, Sanctum
Foundation: ~~~~~~i~ Modus
Pillars: Materia and any Hermetic F~~~~ except
Primus+
MA'CRiA
Command of material substances
Materia is t h e art of alchemical and philo-
sophical (i.e., scientific) shaping, and forging.
With t h e Craftmason's dedication to the world of
matter eclipsing their dedication to the subtle
magical workings of magic, they gave the study
of Ars Primus in favor of Ars Materia, the control
of material substances.
air into a thick black smoke (by making it darker
and heavier, like earth). T h e mage can make
powerful poisons at this level as well.
o.. This is the beginning of true un-
derstanding of the nature of matter for the
He can make substances that per,
form in a wondrous variety of ways: powders that
flash like lightning or explode. Oils that burn
-
even under water. He can melt stone, cause glass
to burn and still water into a beautiful blue crystal
1 1

msparent and vice versa. These chanlP

manent (unless made so with a n ongoimg
rdhev mivhr
o---be netmanent
- - r -- -
e.n_
o -w_
h ._
0--

t o say that Materia cannot be

the Craftmason may

elements as lead
one success, an
scale and chain
e t but as hard as

n transform base

d all the rules of

toward or away from t

per into bronze, for example,
He may nudge the elementa
stance with his will, turning
making the stone more malle
1 e can make two items exist in the
out interfering with one another.
tter any property he can imagine
scosity, impermeability, conduc-
tivity, etc. - or h e can unmake it entirely.